What is Gentleness?
by Seventh Sage
Summary: Sequel to Learning to Love The holdiays approach, but Yugi receives horrible news. The others are not much better off. Will they have a happy holiday? Yaoi, YxY, BxR, SxJ
1. Prologue: Our Past Haunts Us

Yea… Here's the sequel to "Learning to Love"… I know it's set in a holiday-ish time, but I didn't have another idea, sorry. I'm also going to be manga-izing "Learning to Love", as I said already (or at least attempt to), and it's going to be on Sage's site. (http://www.geocities.com/thesagepage2002) 

Yugi: Me! Lemme talk!

Ari: Oh good, you're just in time for the disclaimer.

Yugi: O_O No, I don't want to say the disclaimer!

Ari: Hmmm… Say the disclaimer and I'll let you introduce the story.

Yugi: ^_^ Otay! Ari does not own Yu-Gi-Oh (that's me!) or any of its characters (wait, I'm an "it"?).

Yami: Uh, Aibou, I think she meant the show, not the person. And besides, _I'm_ Yu-Gi-Oh.

Yugi: *sulks* So am I…

Yami: *smiles* Of course.

Yugi: Wait, I have a show? When did I have a show?

Ari: -_-;; This is a fanfic, Yugi… Fanfics are based on stuff… This one, in particular, is based on an ANIME, which is a SHOW.

Yugi: Wow… I have a show…

Ari: Anyway! Yami, you're juuuuuust in time to say the warning. ^_^

Yami: What, no!

Ari: *glares* Say it…

Yami: *sighs* Fine. There will be yaoi content in this story. If you don't like it or don't know what it is, you should leave. *points to the "back" button*

Ari: And I apologize to people that want "interesting" pairings. This'll be the conventional YxY, BxR, SxJ. (Argh, my shift button's being weird. Yugi: It's called a "key", not a "button". Ari: -_-;;) And also… For people that read "Learning to Love", I know I still don't have the rest of Chapter Two (that's the 3rd chappy in the list) up. I'm sorry, but the person that has it is sick, and hasn't come to school yet. I'll get it up soon.

Yugi: MY turn to talk! Okies! A brief summary of this story, since there wasn't enough space to put it in the descriptions box. Basically, it's holiday time, and we all got lots and lots of trouble. First, my parents won't be visiting this year (waaaaahhh, I can't believe how long it took for me to realize what Grandpa's trying to say). Then, Ryou's going to dress as Santa for a Christmas party, and Bakura is certainly much less than pleased. And Jou's family is fighting… And generally, there's lots of unpleasantness around. Buuuuuut… It's not a sad story. I think… At least, it wasn't supposed to be one. ^_^

Ari: Right. Now, on to the fic!

Yami: How come I didn't get to talk?

Ari: *ignores him* As I said, on to the fic!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Prologue 

            _Our Past Haunts Us_

   "Yami-Chan!" Yugi called one afternoon. "It's December! That's almost Christmas!"

   From his spot on Yugi's bed, Yami smiled indulgently. He loved hearing his Aibou's excited voice as he came home each day. The little one always brought joy into his dark thoughts, with his expressive eyes and unspoiled innocence.

   Yami looked up as Yugi came in, dumping his backpack to the ground. "What's Christmas?"

   For a second, Yugi seemed shocked. Then, he laughed. "Oh, Yami-Chan, I forgot that you haven't been around! Christmas is a holiday in December, where people give each other lots of presents! And it's very fun and pretty, and you decorate stuff, sing songs, and, and…" Yugi's eyes shone. "And it's a time of families! Mom and Dad are coming!"

   Something in Yugi's words seemed ominous to Yami, but he forgot everything as the boy tackled him, hugging him tightly. He smiled and ruffled the boy's hair, his heart aching. He loved more than just hearing Yugi's voice. He loved _him_, and had for more than 5000 years. Yet… he could never tell him. He would not break Yugi's wonderful, pure innocence again, like he did once before. Never again…

   Yugi squirmed onto Yami's lap, his large eyes happy. "And guess what? Our school has a dance! And we can bring anyone in, even someone not from the school! Come with me, Yami-Chan, please?"

   Yami frowned, though not in dissatisfaction. That sounded like a… what did the humans call it? Oh yes. A date. "Aren't you going with a girl?"

   Yugi nodded in enthusiasm. "Yep! I'm going with Anzu! But you can come too, Yami-Chan. It'll be so fun! There's going to be music, and food, and pretty lights, and everything will be sooooo nice!"

   Anzu. That word froze Yami. He did _not_ like Anzu. She was nice and all, but she was a "threat" to Yami, looking as how Yugi was currently going out with her. And there was that once when she tried to kiss Yami. He nearly gagged.

   Sharp pain on his arm brought him out of his thoughts. Yugi was off his lap now and poking his arm, large amethyst eyes peering out from behind golden bangs. Concern… Yami's heart melted at the sight.

   "Oh, come to the dance, Yami-Chan, please? Jou has family problems, Honda's going out with some new girl, and Ryou's going to dress as Santa at a Christmas party. Yami-Chan, I don't wanna get stuck alone with Anzu!"

   Yami blinked. "I thought you liked her? And who or what is this Santa?"

   Yugi giggled. "I do like her, Yami-Chan, but I don't want to get stuck with her all night. She keeps talking about girl stuff and repeats her friendship speeches, and…" Yugi sighed. "Anyway! Santa is an old guy with a white beard and red suit and he comes down the chimney oh Christmas Eve and puts presents in your stockings, if you're a good boy! Oh, oh, we should get you a stocking! That way, you'll get lots of presents too!"

   Yami smiled. Yugi was so cheerful today. Overly so, in fact. "Alright, I'll go to your dance, my sugar-high Aibou."

   "I am _not_ sugar-high!" Yugi replied indignantly, smacking Yami's head with a pillow. The Pharaoh grabbed him and tickled those secret spots only he knew, and Yugi squealed in delight. "Y-y-yami-Chan!!"

   All in practiced motions, Yugi fell against Yami, who hugged him close. Both lay panting. Yugi, due to excess sugar in his system, recovered first. He was indeed hyper, and it was from sugar, but he thought it was hardly his fault. He was merely trying to make a chocolate cake for Yami, and bought a lot of sugar…

   Yugi sighed, leaning back against Yami. He felt a strange emotion every time he was close to his dark half, but he could not place it. The real reason he invited Yami to the dance was because he wanted to dance with _him_, not Anzu. He had wondered, a few times, if it was wrong to be so… close… to his Yami, but he let it go every time. It felt… right.

   "So, what are we having for dessert today?" Yami asked, changing the topic. Well, kind of. "I heard that you were busy making it." He winked.

   "Hey, how did _you_ know?" Yugi asked suspiciously. "I came up as soon as it was in the oven, and no one else came so— Yami-Chan! You were reading my mind!" He sulked. "No fair."

   "You can read mine too, remember?" Yami reminded him. _Oh yes. Have to remember to keep my thoughts hidden, then… Wouldn't want him finding out that I— Aibou! MY mind! MINE!_

   "You said I could read it," Yugi complained. And it's still not fair. You can tell when I'm reading yours."

   Yami smiled softly, and held Yugi's head gently at eye level to his. From the boy's amethyst orbs radiated trust. _It did not always use to be like this… Not when I first met you, 5000 years ago… Back then, it was defiance and hatred._ "There. Now, you can tell when I read your mind."

   "Great" Yugi hugged him again, feeling warm and happy as he did so. _Now, I can make sure not to think weird thoughts about Yami when he— Heehee, Yami-Chan, I can tell when you're here!_

   Others, however, were not having as much fun. Bakura, for one, was in a lot of distress, and when that happened, Ryou got hurt.

   "You're going to what?!"

   Ryou flinched back from his yami, backed against the wall. Why? Why was Bakura always telling at him and hitting him? A veil of silver-white hair concealed his face, his tears. White hair matted with dried blood…

   "It's a Christmas party," Ryou explained patiently, hoping his yami would not beat him again. "It's for little children to have fun. All I have to do is sit there and listen to their 'wish list', Bakura…"

   The Tomb Robber's fist connected with his hikari's cheek. "I will not have my _hikari_ dress as a fat, old, bearded man in a stupid red suit, that laughs all the time! Think of the humiliation!"

   Ryou wiped blood from where he was punched. It was not that hard of a hit, but it re-opened an old wound. Why was Bakura so against everything he did? He wanted to cry, but he knew that crying would make it worse. If he cried, his yami would call him weak. Bakura did not allow weakness. He was determined to make Ryou strong, no matter how. Ryou cringed as his yami's hand came down upon him again. Why couldn't his yami be like Yugi's? Yami – Yugi's Yami – _loved_ his Aibou. Ryou wished that Bakura loved him… Despite everything, he was attracted to his dark half.

   _Why the he** am I doing this?!_ Bakura demanded to himself as his fist bruised his hikari's soft skin. **He's a weakling!** another voice answered. _But what if I hurt him badly?_ **Why should I care?!** _Because I lo—_** No! I do _not_ love him!**

   "Y-yami?" Ryou ventured. "A-are you alright?"

   He was rewarded by a whip-lash. He would have stumbled back, had there been space. Bitter tears trailed from Ryou's chocolate-colored eyes. "Doushite, Bakura-Kun?" (A/N: Not sure if I spelled "doushite" correctly… It means "why".)

   "What did you call me?!" Bakura advanced another step, his eyes glowing almost as red as Yami's. "Don't you ever call me anything but 'Bakura', 'Yami', and 'Master'! Do you understand?!"

   A crack of the whip was heard, and a piercing scream ran through the night.

   "Big Brother Seto…" Mokuba stared up with wide eyes. "I was wondering if we could…"

   Seto Kaiba sighed, knowing that whatever his brother asked would be given. He also knew, by the "innocent" expression in little Mokuba's eyes, that he was not going to like this. "What is it?"

   "Can we have a party?" Mokuba burst out, jumping up and down. "A Christmas party! Please please please, Seto?"

   "Who are you planning to invite?" Seto asked. He realized his mistake as Mokuba squealed. Kaiba smacked his forehead mentally. He had just agreed to the party…

   "Everyone!" Mokuba declared, flinging his arms wide. Yugi, and Yami, and Anzu, and Honda, and Mai, and Ryou, and Bakura, and Jou, and—"

   "No!" Seto interrupted. "Not Jonouchi. I will _not_ have the puppy here."

   "But Seto…" Mokuba complained, his eyes teary. "Why can't we invite Jou? He's nice, and fun, and he has cool cards, and he's almost like a second brother to me! I like him, Seto, why don't you?"

   _I do…_ Seto thought. _I do like him, perhaps a bit too much… Which is why I won't go near him._ "He's annoying! He thinks he's good at dueling, but he knows nothing. He's a whining crybaby!"

   The topic of their discussion was, indeed, crying, but he was far from whining at that moment.

   "Mom, Dad, please _stop_!" Jou pleaded, cowering in a corner of the room with his younger sister. They did not listen, of course. They were too wrapped up in their own argument.

   "That does it!!" his mother announced. "I am _leaving_!"

   "Get out, bi***!" Jou's father growled. "And take that little witch with you!"

   "Come on, Shizuka." She opened the door, stepping out into the cold night. Jou breathed in relief as the air carried away the stink of alcohol. "Let's go, Jou." (A/N: I think Serenity's Japanese name was Shizuka… Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

   Jou stood up, to find a hand around his too-skinny arm. An iron grip… He looked up to the sunken and bloodshot eyes of his drunk father.

   "Oh no, _you_ are staying here and doing work!"

   Jou's mother watched helplessly as his father slammed him into the wall. With tears streaming down her face, she fled with her daughter in tow, praying that her son would be alright.

   Back at the Kame Game Shop, Yugi Mutou stared wistfully at his Yami. (A/N: "Kame" = "Turtle". It was the store's name in Japanese.) Lately, he felt a strange attraction to him, like an almost painful tug on his heart. He wondered if he… _loved_… Yami. He had thought that he was going to spend his life with Anzu, his friend for years, but they were drifting farther and farther apart each day. Contrarily, he felt closer to Yami each second.

   "Dinner, boys!" Grandpa called. There was a note of sadness in his voice that Yugi missed as he smirked. Yami was much to old to be called "boy".

   "I'm 5000 years old and he still acts as if I was _your_ age, Aibou," Yami grumbled, standing up. _If I truly was your age, would you like me that way? But no… I am still a guy… I cannot ruin your innocence! He said… that voice said that you were not my destiny anymore… I don't want to lose you, Yugi!_

   Coming down the stairs, Yugi faced an unusually quiet Sugoroku Mutou.

   "Grandpa?" Yugi hesitated. "Grandpa, what happened?"

   Yami, immediately, realized what must have happened. _No… No! It can't be! Why him? Why my angel…? No… It can't be happening again…_

   "Your parents are not coming this year," Grandpa said, trying to find the right words. "And you will be living with me for all time, now, until you are old enough to support yourself."

   Yugi's innocent eyes blinked. "Oh, that's alright, Grandpa. I like living with you1" _And with Yami…_

   Grandpa looked to Yami helplessly, and shrugged. The dark Pharaoh's heart wrenched. Must he tell Yugi?

   "No, Aibou…" Yami murmured gently, tears springing to his eyes. Why must his innocent hikari be hurt? "No, Aibou, that's not what he meant…" A tear trailed down his cheek at Yugi's confusion. _So innocent…_ "Aibou, they're dead."

   For a moment, Yugi could not comprehend what his Yami was saying. _Dead? How… How could…_

   Yami's arms encircled the boy he loved, and he pressed Yugi's head to his chest. Letting him cry. His heart felt torn. Whoever hurt his Aibou would pay a hundred times over!

   "They were murdered," Grandpa whispered, and Yami's fears were confirmed. "The police found their bodies in their house. The… the murderers left a note."

   Yami paled as he scanned the fluttering piece of paper. Suddenly, he crunched it in his fist, his eyes burning with rage, and it burned to ashes. They could almost see the dark energy flaring around him. (A/N: Sorry, mind not working enough for me to make up the actual note.)

   "Y-yami-Chan?" Yugi backed away in fear. Yet, there was nowhere to go, for he always turned to Yami when he was afraid. But he had never seen Yami this angry before. Yugi whimpered softly.

   "I'm sorry Aibou…" Yami calmed, and took a step towards Yugi. The boy backed away, and  Yami looked down, ashamed and sad. He had scared Yugi… If he lost the amethyst-eyed boy, his life would have no purpose…

   A second later, Yugi flung himself at his dark half, sobbing into his chest, his tiny hands clutching Yami's skintight leather. Yami was everything to him, still. And Yugi knew that Yami's anger was not directed at him, but at his parents' murderers. Slowly, his tears came to a stop. Even if he lost everyone else, as long as he had Yami, he would be fine. He knew that no matter what, Yami would take care of him. He hold him more tightly.

   "Who were they?" Grandpa asked. "You know them, Yami." It was a statement, not a question.

   Yami nodded, thinking to the note. Five millennia ago, they had been trying to make Yugi's and his life difficult. Now, they were back, probably with the same goal.

   He snarled. "Pegasus and Malik."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Yami: _I_ get to talk this time.

Ari: Alright, talk.

Yami: Ummmmm… Please read and review! ^_^

Ari: -_-;; Is that all you can say?

Yami: *nods*

Ari: *grins* I have an evil plan to get more people to review… Has to do with biiiiiiig chibi-eyes. ^_^

Yugi: I have big chibi-eyes…

Ari: *smirks* Indeed, you do.


	2. Chapter One: Flickering Emotions

Yay! The next chappy! Aren't you all sooooooooooo happy? ^_^ 

Yugi: *rolls eyes* You act as if people actually want to read this.

Ari: *sighs* I know, I know… But I can be optimistic, can't I? ^_^

Yugi: O_o You're overly-cheerful right now.

Ari: Yep! I'm hungry, and the last thing I ate was chocolate. That usually does something strange… ^_^

Yugi: And you're putting smiles on the end of every sentence…

Ari: Yep! ^_^ Don't I always do that though? ^_^

Yugi: *blinks* Right. Whatever. Anyway! I would like to apologize for Ari's lack of update. She finally ran out of ideas. In fact, she's _still_ out of ideas, but she'll manage. Don't concern yourselves too much. *smirks*

Ari: *sulks* That's not very nice…

Yugi: Anyway… Now, before she forgets, I think Ari has to tell you some stuff.

Ari: Right… It's about what I'm calling the people… Since they're mostly all guys anyway, I can't have the differentiation of "he" and "she", therefore, I have to come up with lots of fancy names to call them, which can become confusing. Just to say, the Japanese word "sennen" means "millennium". Therefore, I'm calling the Millennium Items "Sennen Items", 'cause it's much easier to type. And I'm also calling both Yami and Bakura (Yami Bakura) "Sennen Spirits". Just making everything clear…

Yugi: *ahem* You forgot something.

Ari: Riiiiight… Disclaimer… Who should I… Yo, Hisoka! Do the disclaimer for me.

Hisoka: *blinks* How did I end up here?

Ari: ^_^ You're one of my new favourite characters! Therefore, you get the honour (yeah right) of saying the disclaimer.

Hisoka: …Right. Ari does not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of it's characters. This fanfic will contain yaoi. If you decide to be rude, then Ari will bring Tsuzuki here to hit you with one of his summons (she likes Suzaku and Byakko, but maybe that's because they're the only ones she's seen so far…)

Ari: ^_^ Thankies!

Hisoka: Can I go back to my world now?

Ari: Yep! But don't worry, I'll write a fanfic for you soon. ^_~

Yugi: Alright, on to the fic!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chapter 1 

         _Flickering Emotions_

   /What do you mean by "again"?/ Yugi asked in his mind. /Yami-Chan, what do you mean by "they're back"?/

   //I didn't say anything,// Yami muttered sharply.

   /You were thinking it. You were thinking so loudly that I heard without meaning to./

   Grandpa looked at them kindly. "I have a feeling that you have things to discuss that I should not hear. Why don't you finish dinner and talk in your room?"

   The two, Yami and Hikari, resumed their conversation in Yugi's room. Their topic turned to the past, to when Yami was a Pharaoh. With a little wheedling from the little amethyst-eyed boy, the Puzzle Spirit spilled the story of his life. (A/N: Read "Learning to Love", please. ^_^)

   "So Malik was there?" Yugi asked shakily. "And Pegasus was one of the advisors that wanted to kill me? But whatever for…?" (A/N: Uh, yea, I finally decided that the head advisor was Pegasus. ^_^)

   Yami hesitated. He had not told the teen that they were in love, and that Pegasus was jealous of the boy's influence. "He was trying to get rid of you so he could have the throne. I… I named you my heir… Had you not been there, they could have snatched the throne after my death. I'm sorry to have dragged you into it, Aibou…"

   Yugi cuddled up to Yami, suddenly aware of the intoxicating haze in his mind from the closeness. But with the news of his parents' murder, and now information of Yami's past, he needed the comfort that, somehow, only Yami could provide. Heir… Did Yami only view him as his child? Yugi was thoroughly proud to be thought of as such, but somehow, he was disappointed. A strange, elusive part of his mind wanted more. But what? What did he so desperately seek?

   "Aibou?" Yami gently shook the tiny, frail body. "Aibou, what is it? Are you alright? I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" _I'm sorry for making you love me… But I couldn't help it. How could I have done anything else? You are sweet, gentle, beautiful…_

   "Yami-Chan…" Yugi's voice held such… _need_… that the Sennen Spirit's heart felt squeezed. He wondered if the boy knew the feelings he was inducing with that honey-sweet voice, dripping with innocence, pure and sincere. "Yami-Chan, you won't let them hurt me again, would you? Don't leave me, Yami-Chan…"

   Yami's arms encircled him, shielded him, protected him. "I'll kill them if they touch you," Yami promised. "And I will _never_ leave you, no matter what." _Now that I finally have you again… My beloved…_

   "You'll stay with me every single second?" Yugi asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

   "Yes…" Yami wondered what his little hikari was getting at.

   "Even at the dance?" Yugi's face was a mask of bland innocence.

   "Even at the… Oh, you little monster!" Yami growled mockingly. He sighed inwardly. He had wanted to stay in a safe little corner during the dance. He certainly did _not_ want to see Yugi dance. It was not that he did not like his Aibou's movements – he did. He just did not want to see Yugi, once _his_ Yugi, with someone else. He knew his heart would break. Even more, he knew that if he were there, Anzu would be looking at _him_, not her supposed "boyfriend". Someday… Someday she would hurt Yugi…

   "Aw, please, Yami?" Yugi begged cutely. "Dance with me!"

   Yami stared incredulously. "What gave you the impression that I could dance?"

   "You were a Pharaoh! Pharaohs know these kinds of things!" Yugi nodded perkily. "Really!"

   "Pharaohs did _not_ have to learn how to dance!" Yami exclaimed.

   "They did too!" Yugi argued.

   Yami smiled softly. "Don't you think I would know what I could or could not do?"

   Suddenly, he was pulled to his feet as Yugi tugged him around the room.

   "Follow what I'm doing," Yugi directed. Mystified, the 5000-year-old Pharaoh obeyed, sharply aware of the heat flowing through his Aibou's fingertips. He grinned, enjoying this. "See? You can dance." (A/N: Sorry, no descriptions. I can't dance.)

   "I suppose I could," Yami whispered huskily. "You're a very good teacher, my little Aibou."

   Yugi giggled and hugged Yami, rubbing his cheek against his guardian's leather shirt. It was an innocent gesture of friendship, but it sent fire through Yami's veins. More and more, he desired Yugi, but he pushed it down each time.

   "Anou… Yami-Chan, why does Malik want to kill me? Why is everyone after your throne?"

   The Sennen Spirit was surprised by this question, coming out of the middle of nowhere. How could he explain the struggle for power to one so young and innocent? How could he explain hatred and revenge to one who had never felt anything but kindness?

   "The throne is power," Yami explained to his wide-eyed hikari. "Whoever is Pharaoh rules Egypt. I… I wasn't a very good Pharaoh. I killed thousands – tens and hundreds of thousands – of people. Malik wanted to kill me for the death of his father. He wanted to kill you, firstly because you look like me, and secondly because you defeated Bakura in a duel and saved my life." (A/N: Uh, that is, the story from LtL.)

   "Oh." The little one could not suppress a yawn. Yami smiled gently, feeling his features soften, as Yugi cutely fluttered his eyes close and snuggled closer to his protector. "Yami-Chan, I'm tired. I wanna go to sleep."

   "And you should," Yami murmured. "It's past your bedtime and you have school tomorrow."

   Yugi made a face at him and Yami suddenly felt a pillow smash into his face. Then, something warmer pounced on top of him and little arms encircled his waist.

   "Yami-Chan," Yugi complained, "I'm 16, not 6! And I don't want to sleep. I'm not tired."

   The Pharaoh freed his arms long enough to push away the pillow covering his face and arched an eyebrow comically. "Who was it that said…" Yami mimicked his light's voice. "'Yami-Chan, I'm tired. I wanna go to sleep.' Hmmmmm, Aibou, who?"

   Yugi giggled, the sound muffled by Yami's shirt. "Alright, but I'm cold, so you have to sleep with me. And you have to come to school with me tomorrow. We're having a kind of 'bring a family member to school' day."

   "Hai…" Yami nodded absently. Going to Yugi's school might be fun. Suddenly, his eyebrows shot up and his eyes opened almost to Yugi's size as his mind digested the first half of what Yugi said. "Sleep?!"

   "It's cold…" Yugi sulked and curled up to his dark half, giving him no chance to protest, not that he would have.

   For a second, Yami froze. His mind wandered to a time, 5000 years ago, when a cold and shivering little Yugi crawled into his bed. He remembered what happened after. He remembered the love they eventually shared… He shook his head to clear the images, to calm his desires. Suddenly, his pants were too tight, his shirt too constricting. He kept them on. He wanted his little Aibou more than anything in the world, but he vowed to never break his innocence again. Gently, as to not disturb the little one, Yami pressed a light kiss to Yugi's hair. The little boy that had once been his slave now dictated his every move, and he obeyed gladly.

   "Mmmmm…" Yugi turned, burrowing deeper into Yami's reluctant, but nevertheless passionate, embrace. "Go to sleep, Yami…"

   _No…_ Yami thought. _No, Aibou, I would much rather watch you. Or maybe I'll sleep after all, for it's only in dreams and memories that I could ever be with you… Isn't it?_

   As Yugi slept peacefully in his yami's arms, Ryou was trying to shrink as far away from his as possible. His parents were out of town for the most part of the month, for which he was relieved and fearful. On the one hand, he would not have to hind the Ring Spirit and disguise his bruises, but on the other hand, Bakura could hurt him as much as he wanted to. He flitted to another corner of the room as his yami advanced, knowing that running would only make the Sennen Spirit hurt him more later. He did not care.

   "Ugh, quit running!" Bakura growled. With a leap, he clamped a hand around Ryou's arm and pulled the boy to him roughly. "I don't beat you continuously, you little weakling! That's not the only da** thing I want when I come out!" He blinked. That sounded wrong. His anger spurred, he held Ryou's face close to his and glared. "But since you expected pain, I'll give it to you. But first, turn up the da** heat!"

   Ryou blinked, ignoring the comment about beating him. He had no doubt that Bakura would. He was used to it. However… "The heat?"

   "This house is freezing!" Bakura hissed through clenched teeth. "I'm going to catch a cold! _You're_ going to catch a cold! I don't give a da** about how you're going to suffer, but I am _not_ planning to take care of you!"

   Ryou flinched. His yami was not going to be happy about what he was going to say next… "Bakura… the heat is as high as it can go. It… it can't get any warmer than this…"

   Bakura looked his hikari up and down. Ryou was sickeningly sweet and pretty. He growled. Why does his hikari have to look so much like a girl?! Not that he minded, really. His fingers itched to entangle themselves in the boy's long, feathery, white hair, and he wanted to crush lips against those soft, pink… He opened his mouth, knowing he would fully regret this later. But that was later. Bakura learned to ignore the concept of "later". "Take of your clothes and get into the bed."

   "Wha?" Ryou, in his moment of shock, failed to move. Bakura did not like it when people made him wait. Without offering an explanation, he tore the boy's white sweater off and threw it somewhere on the other side of the room and proceeded to do the same with his jeans, leaving a shivering Ryou dressed only in a light aqua shirt and boxers. (A/N: Meh, I dunno the colour of Ryou's underwear. Don't particularly want to know… ^_^) Bakura smirked inwardly. For all his face looking like a girl, Ryou's body was still masculine, if somewhat fragile. The ring spirit frowned at the dark bruises and scars marring his hikari's pale skin. He would have to remember to cut the boy's skin less often…

   "Get in," Bakura nodded curtly towards the bed and proceeded to remove his own shirt. His tighter leather pants he would leave on, however uncomfortable. He was _not_ going to let the teen see how… aroused… he was.

   He turned and made a sound of frustration. Did his hikari not know how to follow orders?! Feeling that Ryou was taking too long to comply, Bakura grabbed him and roughly dragged him into bed, covering them up in the layers of blankets. He was glad he wore leather pants that day. He did not usually like to, because Yami always did, but their painfully tight constraints hid his arousal.

   "Y-yami?!" Ryou was too startled to do much but stare dumbfounded. "Wh-what are you doing?"

   "Shut up and don't you dare tell anyone about this!" Bakura warned. "It's the only way to keep warm, as I discovered 5000 years ago… Nights in Egypt were very cold when you didn't have a home." He turned away promptly and stared at the window, trying to ignore Ryou's warmth at his back. After all, he managed to ignore all the other people he slept with. He blinked. Slept with? That sounded wrong. _The other people I shared warmth with_, he amended. But he had never felt this way about any of them. On second though, what _did_ he feel about his hikari? _Did_ he feel anything? Why did it hurt him to see Ryou weak, and hurt even more to see Ryou in pain? He sighed. Sleep… He closed his eyes, falling, not into the shallow sleep of a tomb robber, but a deep, fitful slumber.

   Ryou smiled faintly, pressed against his yami's back, face buried in Bakura's hair, which was surprisingly soft. His mind debated whether it was safe to be so close but he was too reluctant to move. Once again, he wondered just how much Bakura cared, if he did at all. He wanted Ryou to be warm, but he gave the explanation of not wanting to take care of the boy in his sickness.

   _I love you, Bakura-Kun,_ Ryou murmured silently, miserably. _Why won't you care about me?_

   "Seeeeeeeeeeto!" Mokuba wailed loudly. "Big Brother, I wanna to got the paaaaaaark!"

   The older Kaiba stared incredulously at his little brother. "At this hour?! Mokuba, go to sleep…"

   "But Seto," Mokuba complained, "you were busy all day! You didn't play with me for a few weeks already, and you're gonna be busy again tomorrow. I wanna go to the park, Seto!"

   Seto Kaiba hid an amused grin. Two days ago, he had taken his little brother to a new, cutting-edge arcade. But it was true, he had been busy working so much that he had, and would have for a few days, no time except at night. "It's cold, Mokuba. I don't want you to get sick. We can try out my new virtual game."

   "I wanna go to the _park_!" Mokuba declared. "I wanna be _outside_! It's the perfect time to test your heat shield too!"

   Kaiba sighed in resignment. "Alright, Mokuba, we can go for an hour. But after that, we're coming _right home_ and you are going to _sleep_. You still have school tomorrow, Little Brother." He muttered under his breath, "And so do I."

   Mokuba squealed and jumped up, pumping his fist into the air triumphantly.

   The golden-haired boy wiped a stream of tears from his honey-brown eyes, shivering uncontrollably in the night air. He supposed that he would have to go home soon, but he did not want to face his abusive father, and the stink of smoke and alcohol. It had been only a few hours since his mother and sister left, and Jou was already covered with bruises. He suppressed a sniffle. Maybe he could go to Yugi's house. But he did not want his father somehow tracking him there. He did not want Yugi to get hurt, in case Jou's father found him and Yami was not around. Jou would never forgive himself, and either would the dark spirit.

   _If I don't go home,_ he mused idly, _I'm gonna die from da cold._ Did he care whether he did Yes… Yes he cared. He wanted to live, to see Shizuka, to someday defeat his best friend in a duel. To see… the blue eyes and brown hair of a certain CEO.

   "What da heck?!" Jou yelped out loud. _That_ was not him. No way. He did _not_ just think about… Jou shook his head. No. He was _not_ going to name the youth in his mind, because that would be admitting that he liked…

   "I dun like 'im!" He declared, and snorted. He did not even manage to convince himself. _He mocked me constantly, derided me, put me down. I have no reason ta like him._ "I do _not _like Seto Kaiba!!"

   "I know that already, puppy," a deep voice answered, dripping with scorn. "As I'm sure the rest of the world does too now."

   Jonouchi wheeled around to stare up at the piercing blue eyes that haunted his dreams; the subject of his greatest fantasy, his greatest fear. "Wh-what're _you_ doing here?!"

   Kaiba regarded the fearful honey eyes coolly, his arms crossed. Though is own blue eyes were calm, his mind was fighting a horrendous battle that could decide the fate of the human race. Or, the fate of Seto Kaiba, at least. Because… If he did not stop staring at those golden-brown eyes, he was going to drown in their depth.

   "I am taking Mokuba to the park," he somehow managed to say, sounding normal. "Is that a crime, Katsuya Jonouchi?" (A/N: I know that they usually put the last name first, meaning it should be "Jonouchi Katsuya", but I'm listing everyone by first name and _then_ last name, so…"

   "N-no," Jou stuttered. _Taking Mokuba to da park? But it's freezing, an' he's wearin' nothin'!_ Jou blushed. _Nothin'?! I meant, he's wearing no more den normal… I wonda what Kaiba'll look like in nothi— ACK, no!_ "B-but y'aren't wearing much. Arentcha cold? And ain't Mokuba gonna get cold?" (A/N: Meh, can't do accepts, sorry if it sounds stupid.)

   "You're wearing less," Kaiba commented.

   "But I'm freezing!" Jou glared.

   "And I'm not," Seto informed him. "I, unlike you, have a heat shield. Mokuba and I are perfectly warm."

   "Yea," Jou murmured bitterly. "Da oh-so-great Kaiba has everything while da rest of us freeze in da cold. Jus leave me 'lone, Kaiba, an' go ta yer park. How great it is ta have da great Kaiba deign ta speak to da rest o' us normal people."

   Seto was about to deliver a crushing reply to Jou's sarcasm. In fact, his mouth was open, when, suddenly, something hurled out behind him and knocked him into a snow bank. Despite his heat shield, the physical contact with the snow sent a shock of cold up his spine. He gasped. Why was Jou out there, dressed like that, in this cold? Was his puppy _trying_ to get pneumonia?!

   "Jou!" The object that had crashed into Seto was, in fact, a very happy and hyper Mokuba. "Jou, whatcha doing here? Isn't it cold? Seto and I have heat shields! Do you have one?"

   "Nah," the golden-haired boy put on a brave front, waving his hand dismissively. "It's ain't dat cold. I'll be fine."

   "Why arentcha going home?"

   Jou sighed. Normally, he loved the little boy's curiosity, but he was not up to answering questions this night. How could he tell the little black-haired, blue-eyed boy that his father was beating him senseless, that the biting winds were less cruel? He knew that Mokuba would take pity on him. He did not want pity. Furthermore, he did not know how much longer he could spend being this close to Kaiba and resist the desire to touch him.

   "Stay with us tonight."

   Honey eyes shot up, startled, to stare into cold blue. He blinked, not sure if he heard right. "Wha?!"

   "You heard me," Seto said, annoyed. "Stay with us tonight. I don't want my favourite puppy to freeze."

   Jou growled before realizing that jut made him seen more like the puppy that Kaiba termed him. So, that was it. Kaiba wanted to keep the object of his mockery alive. Jou would rather die.

   "Why would I wanna do dat?!" Jou exclaimed, and tried to glare at the taller, brown-haired teen but failed horribly. His gaze wavered. Wasn't being scorned by Kaiba better than being abused by his father? But somehow, the former seemed more painful.

   "Come… Jonouchi," Seto murmured. "Or else you'll freeze to death."

   "Why do you care?" Jou asked softly. _Was Kaiba being… nice?!_

   "I don't." Seto turned away, berating himself for almost letting out his feeling. He walked towards his limo, all thoughts of going to the park forgotten. "Now come. A master has to take care of his puppy, ne?"

   Jou hesitated. Should he go with Kaiba? In a moment, the promise of warmth and food won him over. "Ah, sure, why not?"

   Mokuba cheered. _Having Jou over is even better than going to the park!_

   (A/N: Uh, this next part is a bit… Ummmmmmm… Semi-mature-ish. And semi-depressing-ish.)

   "Mmmmm…" the young Pharaoh opened his eyes, forgetting, for the moment, where he was as he breathed in his lover's scent. Yugi's soft hair tickled his cheeks, and the boy's bare body was warm against his. He leaned down and captured the young one's lips with his own, tugging, caressing. They yielded to his kiss, and finally, Yami remembered where – and when – he was.

   Amethyst eyes watched in amusement as he sprang back, startled, and the tiny body pressed closer, tempting. Yugi's sweet voice purred in his ear seductively as the boy caressed his cheek with his tongue. "Well, yami-Chan? Don't you have something to tell me?"

   Yami shuddered pleasantly at Yugi's tone, wondering when the innocent boy learned to speak like that. "I…"

   Yugi smirked. "You love me, don't you?" His hands reached lower to brush against Yami's butt. "Then take me."

   To say the puzzle spirit was shocked would be an understatement. However, he had not time to think as Yugi stuck a leg between his, their soft sighs rubbing together.

   "You know you want me," Yugi tempted, trusting his hips just a little. "Why don't you take me and make me feel… good…"

   It was too much for the Pharaoh to hear his once-lover speak this way. His arms encircled the boy, crushing him close, his member searching for Yugi's. (A/N: -_-; It's not my fault. Yugi made me write it. No, it won't get worse than this though.) Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain between his shoulder blade, which quickly dimmed to a dull ache.

   "N-nani?" Yami felt something warm and wet run down his back, and he reached a hand behind him tentatively. "Blood…?"

   Yugi laughed, suddenly, cold, cruel laughter, as he pulled the knife out slowly, agonizingly slow, sending waves of searing pain through Yami's body. "You fell for it. I knew I could seduce you. How does it feel now, _Yami_? It was all _your_ fault. _You_ forced yourself onto me 5000 years ago and stole my innocence. _You_ caused my death. And now, in this life, _you_ were the first to make me cry. You think it's Kaiba's fault? It isn't. I cried because of _your_ ruthlessness." (A/N: Ack, don't yell at me, I don't believe a word of that either. Personally, I think it's Pegasus's fault.)

   "Aibou…" Yami's voice was choked with tears. Yugi's words hurt more than his knife. "Kimi… Aishiteru…" (A/N: kimi = you, aishiteru = "I love you")

   Yami sat up, eyes flying open, to face darkness. For a second, he thought he was back in the Millennium Puzzle. As far as he knew, he could not be killed. Had Yugi sealed him back in the Puzzle? He let out a soft sob.

   "Y-yami-Chan?" Yugi murmuredd, feeling his darker half stir. He snuggled closer and nuzzled Yami's chest. "Yami-Chan, what's wrong?"

   "A dream…" the Pharaoh murmured. "It was only a nightmare. I… I'm fine, Aibou."

   The little one reached up on impulse, stroking Yami's cheek reassuringly. His dark side had always been there for him. The least he could do was to return some of the comfort. "Want to tell me what it is? Maybe I can help you. Yami-Chan, you look so pale… I don't want you to get hurt… Please tell me?"

   The Puzzle Spirit took a deep breath, trying to calm his shuddering body. Yugi was so warm, so soft… And clothed, and acting normal. But still, Yami hesitated.

   "Please, Yami-Chan?" Yugi pleaded. He could not stand to see the proud Pharaoh in such pain. He knew that if he were to open his eyes just a little more and stare up like that… "Please tell me, Yami-Chan…"

   No one in the history of the world had ever been able to stand up to those eyes, and yami was no different. He knew that he was going to regret this, but Yugi's eyes captivated him, like they always did. "I had a dream that you were trying to kill me, or at least hurt me… You stuck a knife into my back, and… And you said that everything was my fault, and that I caused your death and I made you cry, and…" Yami looked away, trembling. He did not tell about forcing himself onto Yugi, of course.

   "That would never happen!" Yugi declared. "I never thought that it was your fault. After all, you were just doing what you thought was best. I know you would never harm me. And I would never hurt you! I love you!" _Oh no, what did I…!!_

   Yami smiled at his Aibou sadly, wistfully. _I truly wish you meant "love" that way, but I don't think so. You're so innocent… Even more so than last time… I can't let that happen again!_ "Thank you, Aibou."

   Yugi yawned cutely. "Go back to sleep, Yami-Chan. We have school tomorrow." _He thinks I only meant friendly love! I guess there are good sides to seem to be innocent._ Yugi was almost upset. Would he ever have a chance with Yami?

   The Pharaoh hesitated. If he slept, the nightmare might return. He did not think he could withstand it again.

   Sensing his thoughts, Yugi nuzzled him gently. "When I'm afraid, I like to hug teddy bears."

   "But there's none here…" _The only one to hug is…_

   "You can hug me!" Yugi offered cheerfully, snuggling closer. _Ack, what am I doing?!_

   Yami's arms went around him, and both relaxed, content in each other's warmth. Yami fell asleep almost instantly, lulled by his Aibou's sweet scent. Yugi, however, lay awake, blushing. _Never talk to Yami when I'm half asleep… Then again, I would be talking to him if he wasn't lying here beside me. Ugh, never invite Yami to sleep with me. Uh, no, that sounded wrong. Oh, forget it. It was cold… Yami was warm. And besides, this is a very, very comfortable position…_

   (A/N: Forget about the dream, k? This story is not angst, and the dream was only the product of over-imagination in French class.)

   Yugi woke with his cheek pressed against something firm and warm. And moving. His eyes flew open, and he could not help but stare at Yami' bare, tanned chest. It took quite a while before he noticed that Yami, too, was awake. The ruby watched with amusement laced with sadness as the little one sprang back.

   "Gomen ne, Yami!" Yugi quickly apologized, blushing. Last night's events caught up with him and he turned even more red. Tears stung at his eyes. Would Yami be repulsed? If Yami were to leave, he did not know how he could live.

   "Shhhhh, Aibou, it's alright," the Puzzle Spirit's deep voice murmured and his arms twined around Yugi gently. "Don't cry, Aibou, don't cry. Why would I be repulsed? What would I be repulsed by? Aibou, nothing you do could be repulsive."

   "Yami-Chan…" Yugi stared up with such pure and sincere pleading that the Sennen Spirit felt his heart wrench. He remembered that expression. He remembered the love that followed it. But this time, there would be no love for him. He sighed. Yugi was always so kind, so open. He gave a piece of his heart to all who he deemed a friend – and that was a heck lot of people. It gave him joy, but Yami knew that it would hurt him someday. The amethyst-eyed boy was too innocent, too vulnerable. His protector feared that one day, one of Yugi's "friends" might betray him and tear his heart apart. He was surprised by his Aibou's next words.

   "Yami-Chan, would you ever leave me? Would you ever hate me?"

   "N-no!" Yami answered in shock. Hate him? He _loved_ him! "Why would I ever do something like that?"

   Yugi shrugged, looking away. "Because… Because I'm nothing special. I don't deserve you… What if one day, I failed you? What if… What if I made you lose? I'm sorry… I… I guess you wished that I never solved the Puzzle."

   Yami gasped, and pulled Yugi close to him, holding him comfortingly, trying very hard to try to keep his hand from sliding under the boy's shirt and caressing his flesh. What had made his precious Aibou act like this? "Aibou, you _are_ special! _I_ chose you, not the Puzzle. You have never failed me before, nor would you ever. And why would I care if you did? We all make mistakes." The Sennen Spirit was rambling now. "You are the kindest, gentlest, sweetest, most wonderful, most loving, most caring, most beaut—" He blushed. _Beautiful?! Was I about to say "beautiful"? Well, he is, but I can't let him hear that._

   "But…" Yugi mumbled, still looking down but unconsciously shifting and almost melting into the spirit. "My parents… I couldn't…"

   _Ah. So that was it._ Yami was relieved that his Aibou's sadness was not due to him. "You could not have done anymore, Aibou. They were murdered. My little angel, don't let the demons upset you."

   "I couldn't do anything!" Yugi wailed, though softly. "For all the fame and glory I won from dueling, I couldn't save my parents. And… and even now, I'm just… going on… I'm not _doing_ anything! I feel so… useless."

   The Pharaoh was at a loss for words. He had certainly never learned how to comfort people. Instead, he just held the boy and nuzzled his hair, offering what reassurances there was by his warmth, his embrace. Thus they stayed until the alarm clock rang.

   If Yugi had been surprised to wake up next to his dark side, Ryou was even more so. Bakura did not sleep deeply with an arm around someone. It was just… not done. In fact, Ryou was so shocked that he flinched back, breaking free of the Ring Spirit's possessive grip. As his mind caught up, he immediately regretted that action. First of all, Bakura was already getting ready to punch him. Second of all, he missed having the warm, muscular body next to him.

   "Oh! Bakura…" Ryou remembered something. "Today, we're allowed to take a family member to school…"

   "I'm not family!" Bakura growled. "However, I will go. It's time I take another shot at stealing the Millennium Puzzle."

   Ryou sighed. Why must his yami try to steal all the Millennium Items? Was that the only thing he cared about? _Why can't he care about me that much? Why can't he be wondering how to get me every second?_

   His desperate musings were broken as a bundle of… something… was thrown at his face. Clothes…

   "Get dressed. You slept late."

   Groaning in pain, the white-haired boy began preparing for another day alone with his abusive yami. As he dressed, he noticed the Tomb Robber's eyes on his body and blushed, quickly pulling on his clothes. So quickly, in fact, that he did not take the time to notice what was handed to him – a tight, snowy, knit sweater that showed the boy's strong but somehow delicate frame, and a pair of black pants – black _leather_ pants that hugged his long legs.

   Bakura smirked, though not cruelly, as his hikari, without realizing it, put on the clothes he had chosen. What was more, Ryou looked _good_ in that apparel. Somehow, he looked taller, strong, more… beautiful.

   The Tomb Robber blinked. Beautiful? When had he described anything as beautiful since the old tomb robbing days? When had he ever seen beauty except in the wealth he had taken from the old Kings' crypts? But now, he knew it was true. He found his hikari, _his_ Ryou, beautiful. Kind of like that big diamond he stole once…

   "We're leaving now!" Bakura announced as Ryou stuffed the last bite of his pancakes into his mouth. The boy looked up, syrup still dribbling from the corners of his mouth. Suddenly, Bakura felt the urge to lick away those sticky trails, to taste that honey sweetness.

   "B-bakura?" Ryou stammered, backing away slowly. He knew his yami would not hit him right now. Bakura would not want the white sweater to become blood-stained, but soon, after the day was over, he would receive punishment tenfold. Still, the expression on the Tomb Robber's face was fearful. It was not of rage, but… hunger.

   Without a word, the Ring Spirit grabbed the boy's arm and dragged him out of the door.

   (A/N: Sorry, I usually write YxY, and I can't do the other pairings too well…)

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Oh! I almost forgot…

Yugi: You ALWAYS forget.

Ari: *grins* Anyway! Since you've all been so patient, I decided to upload one of my piccys for you to see. ^_^

Yugi: You act like if they want to see.

Ari: *shrugs* No harm. Anyway, for all who actually would like to see, here it is… http://www.arivess.web1000.com/yxy/hug.jpg It'll lead to a page with some words. Just click on the bottom link. Hope it works…


	3. Chapter Two: A Break From Our Troubles

Yep, another chappy! ^_^ 

Yugi: About time…

Ari: Heh, I did take quite a while, didn't I? ^_^ I kinda started writing the other stories, and… *blush* But anyway, here it is. Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I'll try to work up to your standards, ne?

Yugi: Yep, and guess what? This is a fluff chappy! Kinda. Not exactly. But kind of.

Ari: Yes… I'm actually surprised it got this long. It has…

Yugi: Can I say it? Can I say it?

Ari: If you say the disclaimer…

Yugi: *sulks* I don't wanna…

Ari: Then get someone to say it.

Yugi: *smirks innocently* Oh Dark Magician! Ari wants you to say the disclaimer!

Ari: O_o I did not. I wanted _you_ to say it.

Dark: -_-; Anyway… Ari doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh. She might, someday, in her dreams, but not right now. And this story contains yaoi between Yami and Yugi, Bakura (Yami Bakura) and Ryou (little Bakura), and Seto (Kaiba) and Jou.

Ari: *giggles* Speaking of dreams, I had a dream that Malik captured my little brother and I had to save him…

Yugi: Anyway! Since I summoned the Dark Magician to say the disclaimer, I get to talk! *grins* This chapter will have a lot of fluff, some funniness, and the Seto/Jou confession! ^_^

Ari: Yep… And in case you don't read my other stories (which is probably most of you), I drew a piccy for Valentine's Day. And I uploaded it. Here. Enjoy! ^_^

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Chapter Two 

         _A Break From Our Troubles_

   "Welcome to our school, guests," a teacher was saying in a boring, monotonous voice. "We hope you will enjoy your stay at our school. In a moment, you will be allowed to go around with your family members. We have many events planned, like various games, shows..."

   Yugi covered a yawn and wriggled around, snuggling closer to Yami. Ever since the morning, he was not himself, and _nothing_ can convince him to be even a step away from the dark spirit. He was now sitting on his lap.

   The Pharaoh glanced down and smiled sadly at the downcast expression on his light's face. Gently, he reached up a hand to brush the golden bangs from the boy's amethyst eyes. //You've been like this all morning, Aibou. Stop blaming yourself. They would have wanted you to be happy no matter what. By being upset, you are playing right into your enemies' hands.//

   /I.../ The boy looked up, eyes filled with tears. /But... I should at least try to avenge them... Yami-Chan, I.../

   The Puzzle Spirit longed to kiss the soft lips presented to him, but all he did was brush away the crystalline tears. //Shhh, Aibou. There is nothing that you _can_ do. There isn't even anything that _I_ can do. They have hidden away.//

   Eventually, at the end of the teacher's long speech, something of interest caught their attention. "...and last of all, there will be a Duel Monsters tournament. You will duel in pairs. The top three pairs will win an all-expense-paid dinner at the new restaurant." (A/N: *smirks* Gotta have duels in Yu-Gi-Oh, ne? ^_~ Don't worry, I'll make these more interesting. Meaning, I won't be describing these and you skilled duelists can fill it in by yourselves.)

   The class was now buzzing with excitement. Of course, looking as how both Yugi Mutou, the King of Games, and Seto Kaiba, the previously predicted World Champion, were in the school, the other students were only wishing for third place.

   "I would be honoured if you were to be my partner," Yami murmured. "Aibou, you have never failed me before."

   The slightest hint of the boy's bright smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Yami-Chan, you don't have a deck. When you duel, you still duel as me..."

   The Pharaoh winked mysteriously. "I went to Industrial Illusions..." His lips curled in a snarl at the reminder of that company's head. "...And had them duplicate my deck. Ah, well, it's actually almost the same as yours, but..."

   "Of course I'll be your partner!" Yugi declared happily, the light back in his eyes. Yami... Yami wanted to work with him... But in his mind, he was wondering, somewhat uneasily, who Jou was going to be partners with.

   In the classroom next to theirs, the aforementioned honey-eyed boy was wondering the same thing. Or rather, he was considering an offer. An alarming offer, in fact; one that he had not been expecting.

   "Wha?!" Jou was trying not to fall from his tipped-back chair. "Ya want _me_ ta be yer partner?! But ya said dat I can't duel an' everything..."

   "You're the best one here!" Kaiba snapped. "I would rather work with Mokuba, but he doesn't have a deck."

   "Tell Yug ta be yer partner!" Jou sulked. "He was da winner at da Duelist Kingdom, not me."

   Kaiba snorted. "Would Yugi work with me when Yami is there? You've seen the way they look at each other, even if they didn't notice it yet." _Like the way I looked at you... Will you ever notice? Everyone else did!_

   "Yea, yea, I'll work wi' ya," Jou muttered. "Anything fer a free meal... An' I'm already living wi' ya, why not duel too?"

   Sitting a few seats away, the silver-haired Tomb Robber listened with interest. So, the Pharaoh and his hikari were taken. Of course, that was to be expected. And now, he found out that the rich and famous CEO was in love with the "puppy". Count them out too. He sighed irritatedly. The rest of the school could not win a duel with a 10000 Life Points head start if their lives depended on it. So, the only one left that could at least somewhat duel would be...

   "Ryou, be my partner for this thing."

   The white-haired boy was no less surprised than his golden-haired friend. In fact, if anything, he was more so. He looked as if he could not have been more shocked than if his yami had announced that he was a 3-headed fire-breathing dragon in his past life, not a Tomb Robber. _Actually,_ Ryou amended, _that's believable. This isn't._ He was almost thinking of checking Bakura's temperature to make sure he did not catch a fever the night before.

   "Da** it, Ryou!" the afore-mentioned Ring Spirit growled. "Quit thinking, and answer me!"

   Ryou snapped out of his trance-like state. "S-sure, Bakura. But why?"

   "Isn't it obvious?!" Bakura sighed in exasperation as he realized that it was, in fact, not obvious to anyone but him. "No one else here can duel except Yugi, Yami, Jou, Kaiba, and _you_. I want the prize!"

   The boy blinked. "You want dinner at the restaurant?"

   _Oh. So that's what the prize is. I wasn't listening._ Bakura shook out his wild mane of white hair. "I want to win, not the prize. I want to beat the pathetic humans."

   "But a second ago, you said you wanted the prize," Ryou pointed out.

   _Did I? Oh._ "Well, the prize is proof of winning. And dinner can't be that bad, even if _you_ have to be there too."

   Ryou's face fell instantly at the last part of the sentence. So, Bakura only regarded him as a tool to get what he wanted. He knew this from the beginning, but it was almost forgotten recently. Now, the reminder seemed to strike his heart like a dagger.

   The Tomb Robber felt a strange desire to comfort his hikari as he watched the boy sit through the rest of class in silence. Frowning, he turned away, squishing down that wish. Was that the right thing to do? He did not know. But there they sat, until the bell rang.

   Jou stood up, stretching his arms. Seto caught himself staring at the tantalizing slivers of flesh that he could see, and quickly coughed to mask that mistake.

   "Yer coming' wit me?!" Jou demanded as Seto started following him. The rich CEO merely nodded.

   Grumbling loudly, though secretly pleased, the golden-haired boy made his way out of the class and towards Yugi's locker with the sapphire-eyed teen in tow.

   Violet eyes looked up and blinked in surprise. "Jou-kun, why is Kaiba-san following you?"

   The questioned youth growled at his tag-along, while everyone else tried their hardest not to laugh, not only at Jou's embarrassment but also at Yugi's innocence.

   The honey-eyed boy flushed a deep red and glared at Seto. "Go take Mokuba somewhere else! I dun haf ta stay wi' you jus 'cause I'm livin' wit ya!"

   Suddenly, his eyes widened as he realized what he said. The resto f them stared in stunned silence.

   "Good job, Puppy," Seto murmured sarcastically. Then, he cleared his throat and regarded Yugi and friends coolly. "Apparently, the Chihuahua doesn't like his doghouse, so he's staying with me until we can figure out why. Right now, he's a good little babysitter for Mokuba, although I still don't get what my brother sees in this Pup."

   "I'm not a puppy!" Jou declared angrily.

   "Why didn't you just come to my house?" Yugi asked, cocking his head. "We always have room for you."

   The boy shook his golden head. "Yug, ya know da reason I left. Yami would kill me if I let 'im get to ya. If yer Yami's not there an' he hurts ya... I'd never forgive myself either. Yer da best, Yug, but yer too innocent. I dun want 'im ta..." Jou decided not to elaborate. "Anyway, Kaiba can protect 'imself, an' his mansion's almost impossible ta break inta."

   As the other people were busy, Anzu slowly sidled up to Yami, (A/N: Blech!) fluttering her eyelashes. (A/N: Icky icky!)

   "So... Yami," she purred. "Do you have a partner for the dueling tournament this afternoon? I could name a few..."

   "Yes," the Puzzle Spirit answered curtly. "I'm Yugi's partner." _I always have been, I always will be._

   "Oh..." Anzu was taken aback for a second, but only for a second. She flipped her hair, giving Yami what she thought was a seductive glance. "Why don't you be _my_ partner instead? I'm _much_ better than Yugi. I mean, didn't you see me at Duelist Kingdom? I beat Mai, and I didn't even need to use Yugi's special cards."

   Yami rolled his eyes. Did this girl actually believe that?! Mai had merely allowed her to win, because the starchips were for Yugi anyway. _Can a little encouragement really make someone so conceited?_

   The amethyst-eyed subject of discussion turned back as Anzu stared up at Yami. He wondered if Yami liked her... He bit his lips, feeling a twinge of jealousy. But who was he jealous of? Was he jealous of Yami, because he held Yugi's girlfriend's -- and all other girls' -- attention? Somehow, he did not think so.

   "Hey, Yugi!" Anzu called cheerfully. "Yugi, tell Yami how good I am at dueling."

   "Um, er, yeah," Yugi complied. Anzu? Good at dueling? "She's... um, very good. She almost beat Honda once." _Of course, that's only almost, and not counting the hundreds of times he beat her..._

   Yami raised an eyebrow. //She appears to think she's better than you, Aibou. She's trying to convince me to...// Yami made his mind-voice high in a parody of Anzu's. //"Ditch that little Yugi and duel with me. I'm sure we'll win first prize." Aibou, I find your girlfriend amusing.// _Girlfriend... Why won't you like ME instead?_

   /With you, anyone would win first prize,/ Yugi responded, trying to appear light and happy. /After all, you're the ancient King of Games./ Was... was Yami leaving him?

   The spirit immediately caught his hikari's sadness. //What's wrong, Aibou? And don't tell me "nothing".//

   /Are you going to be her partner?/ the question burst from Yugi's mind. He held back a sniffle.

   //Why would you think that?!// Yami asked in shock. //You're my _Aibou_, my partner! I would never leave you, Ko-- er, Aibou. My little angel...//

   Yugi giggled. /Yami-Chan, what did you almost say, hmm? "Ko" what?/

   The Pharaoh turned as red, if not more so, than Jou had been a few minutes ago. //Me? I said nothing. Nope, nope, nothing at all.// _Oh, I am sooooooooo in trouble... I almost called him "Koi"!_ (A/N: Koi=Love)

   Standing off to the side, Ryou stared at them wistfully. When he was upset, Bakura never made him laugh. If he said something that embarrassed his yami, he would receive a slap, not a blush. Yami and Yugi... Seto and Jou... What happened between them was so clear to the white-haired hikari, even if they did not notice. Would they understand his desire? Would they understand the pain of unrequited, impossible love? He wanted to talk to someone, but how could anyone else know what it was like to love someone who viewed you only as a convenient host, someone who would leave you broken and shattered as soon as his mission was completed?

   "Ne, Ryou-Chan, what's wrong?"

   Warm chocolate-brown eyes stared down at concerned amethysts, and the boy realized that his brows had furrowed in a frown. _Everything!_ he wanted to say. _Everything's wrong!_ But he did not want to worry the innocent, child-like Yugi.

   "Oh, don't worry, Yugi. I'm fine. But watch your Millennium Puzzle. Bakura seems to want to get another try at it. That was the reason he came today." Catching Bakura's glare, Ryou knew that his yami heard. He was going to be in a world of pain once they get home... And the Tomb Robber would be much less than pleased when he learns that the Santa suit was supposed to be delivered that evening, and that they party -- and their school's Christmas dance on the same day -- was in less than a week.

   The boy almost immediately stiffened and clutched his Puzzle possessively, backing away from the white-haired spirit. Yami... He would not lose Yami, no matter what. He would make sure of that.

   //Don't worry, Aibou,// Yami comforted in his mind. //I won't let him take the Puzzle. I will always be with you.//

   Yugi looked up, smiling brightly. "Great! Now, let's go get some lunch before the tournament starts! We wouldn't want to duel on empty stomachs, would we?"

   The Pharaoh smiled at his hikari's cheerfulness. "Hai, lunch sounds good. What does your school serve? Is it anywhere near as god as what I can cook?"

   Yugi giggled. Everyone – Yami included – knows that the Puzzle Spirit could not cook. "Of course it's not, Yami-Chan. You're the best in everything!" _Of course, "everything" excludes cooking…_

   "Alright, then why don't we just eat the lunch I made?" Yami asked winking. "Since you like my cooking so much…"

   Yugi nearly choked on the vanilla coke he was sipping. (A/N: Heehee, Sage-Chan's niller coke!) Yami made lunch?! He wondered what horrible experiment Yami made this time. Last time, it was spinach and green pepper covered in who-knows-what salad dressing. (A/N: *shrugs* It might taste good for all I know. I never tried. It just sounded horrible, mostly because I hate green pepper.) Of course, being the kind little hikari he was, he ate every single bite that the spirit set on his plate – and somehow managed to keep it all down. Quite a feat, really, since Yami had tasted one bite and decided that as a Sennen Spirit, he did not really need food.

   Instead of the nervously anticipating expression that Yugi had been expecting, Yami burst out laughing. "Oh, you should have seen your face, Aibou. You looked like if I had just declared that Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragon is attacking us and you have to fight it bare-handed. Or actually, you looked like if you preferred that."

   The amethyst-eyed boy smiled sheepishly. "Was my expression really that obvious? I'm sorry, Yami-Chan… But really, I'll eat whatever you make. Ummm… What _did_ you make?"

   "Nothing." The spirit hugged his secret love comfortingly. "I'm not going to torture you, Aibou. I know you would finish it all just because I made it. You're that kind of a wonderful friend. I only wanted to see your reaction."

   /Whew!/ Yugi declared teasingly. /It might have poisoned me this time. What do you put in that stuff?/

   //Aibou!// Yami glared in mock hurt. //It took me very long to make. It's actually a cake. Chocolate and strawberries and peaches and lemons, all covered in…// Yami smirked evilly, letting little Yugi drool over the sugar and fruits. //All covered in eggplants and pickles!// (A/N: Who knows, it might taste good. ^_~)

   "WHAT?!" Yugi yelped, and earned a few suspicious glares from other students.

   "I was just joking," Yami laughed. "Even I know better than to put those stuff on cake." _Mmmmmmmm… The best taste to put into a cake would be yours, Aibou. Sweeter than honey, smoother than cream…_

   The boy stared up at the spirit, as if making sure he was telling the truth. "Alright, then, let's get hamburgers and fries. And some more drinks. Maybe iced tea this time…"

   As the young King of Games declined his yami's food, his best friend was, in fact, trying to get food.

   "Aw, Kaiba, lemme have some!" Jou pleaded, eyeing the slice of cheesecake hungrily. "Just a li'l piece?"

   The CEO blinked. "Quit begging, Puppy. It's not going to work." Just to be cruel – and to see more of that cute, dog-like expression on his "puppy's" face – Seto cut a big piece of the cake, waved it at Jou casually, and placed it into this mouth, moaning loudly.

   Jou shivered at the sound. For a second, he was considering what he could do to earn such a reaction from Kaiba, but as soon as he realized what he was doing, he stopped immediately, though not without a blush. To cover that, he growled angrily. "C'mon, Kaiba, ya got so much money. Lemme have some cake!"

   The brown-haired teen was glad that Jou did not comment. What was he thinking, making that sound?! He sighed in exasperation. "I gave you money for lunch already, Pup! And you finished it too. However, _some_ of us don't eat like dogs. If you ate your cake slowly, you would still have some left."

   Jou sulked. "Lemme have some more cake, Moneybags!" He was almost hoping that Kaiba would taunt him again. He wanted to hear that interesting sound again.

   Seto smirked, cutting another piece of the cheesecake and lifting it to his lips. His mouth opened, and in went the cake, but no sound came out. Jou's face fell in disappointment.

   "Big Brother!" Mokuba asked, stuffing the last of his lunch into his mouth and jumping up. "Big Brother, can I have the rest of your cake? You don't look like if you want it. Please?" He smiled slyly.

   "Of course," Seto answered. "You can have anything you want."

   _I wanta have anything I want,_ Jou thought miserably. _And I want you, Kaiba._ However, right now, his main interest was the cheesecake, which passed out of Seto's hands to the much more generous Mokuba.

   "Say, Mokuba?" Jou asked "innocently". "How would you like ta share dat cake with yer best friend Jou?"

   The black-haired boy thought for a second. "Jou? As in, Katsuya Jonouchi? Hmmmm… Should I, or should I not?"

   The golden head bobbed up and down eagerly, and Seto found himself admiring the way the sun glinted off of it.

   "I choose…" Mokuba purposely paused, grinning evilly. "No!" The rest of the cake disappeared seconds later.

   Jou hung his head and pretended to sob in despair. "I guess I'll hafta ste – borrow – Yug's cake. Unless Yami made it…"

   "Borrow?" Seto sneered. "Beg, you mean. Be even more of a mutt than you already are."

   The boy sighed, for once subdued. Honey eyes filled with tears, but Jou would not let them fall. _Can't he see dat I love him?_ Jou asked, though he expected no answer. _Can't he see how much dis is hurting me? Dat's it, I'm not staying wit him fer anotha night. I'd ratha go home and get beaten den be here. I hate 'im, I…_

   "Would everyone who would like to participate in the duel tournament come to room 301 with your partners to register? I repeat, anyone who is planning to be in the tournament should go to room 301 with your partner now!"

   Jou was almost considering backing out of Seto's offer, but it was too late. The CEO was already walking towards the doors of the cafeteria, hauling Jou by the back of his shirt as his little brother proceeded to finish what's left of his lunch.

   There, at the registration room, was a long line. Jou spotted his best friend come out with Yami, both grinning happily. They passed Jou and Seto with a wave. The honey-eyed boy sighed, bored, and studied the long, white hair of the two people in front of him.

   _Wait a sec, I recognize dat hair! I know dem! It's Ryou an' his yami. Dere 'ere too?_

   "Hey Ryou!" Jou greeted. "Yous are gonna be in dis tournament-thing too?"

   The snowy-haired boy turned and waved cheerfully, though Jou thought his smile was a bit forced. "Yep. My yami and I are going to enter as a team. Maybe we'll even face you."

   Kaiba nodded curtly. "My Blue-Eyes White Dragons would be glad to make your acquaintance."

   Soon – or at least eventually – they came to the registration desk. A teacher sat there, looking rather miffed now, a looooooooong list of names before you. Her pen was poised over the next empty spot.

   "Name?"

   "Bakura, Ryou." (A/N: Last name first…)

   "Bakura."

   The teacher blinked. "Bakura what?"

   The Sennen Spirit frowned. "Bakura. As in, my name is Bakura."

   The teacher sighed. "Is that your given name or surname?"

   "Uh… Given name?" The spirit was at a loss. He only _had_ one name, and it was not his own.

   "Alright, then what's your surname?"

   Bakura was, for once, panicking. //Ryou, what the he** is a surname?!//

   The hikari replied patiently. /It's the part of your name that's the same as your parents'. You know, how my surname is Bakura, Yugi's is Mutou, Seto's and Mokuba's is Kaiba./

   //Ah.// The Ring Spirit tried to think of a plausible surname. "Um… Tomb Robber."

   "Tombrobber?" the teacher blinked again, but shrugged. "If you say so. Next!"

   Jou and Seto stepped up to the desk.

   "Name?"

   "Jonouchi, Katsuya." (A/N: Jou's first name's Katsuya, I think. Hey, how come they call Jou, Honda, Bakura (Ryou), and Kaiba by last names; and Yugi, Mokuba, Mai, Shizuka (Serenity), and Anzu by first names?)

   The teacher wrote it down. "And you? Don't tell me you're another of those bizarre-named people." She shook her head. "First, there was Yugi Mutou and his look-alike, who insisted on the name 'Yami Pharaoh'. Now, Tomb Robber?"

   "Kaiba, Seto."

   The voice pierced through the teacher's daze and she looked up. "Oh! Mr. Kaiba! I'm very sorry."

   "Just write the da** thing down."

   "Yes, Mr. Kaiba."

   Seto sighed and rolled his eyes. He hated being famous sometimes.

   The many duels took place all across the school, until only a few were left. Unsurprisingly, (A/N: _Please_ say that you're not surprised…) Yugi and Yami, Ryou and Bakura, and Jou and Seto were amongst those still competing. Now, the latter two mentioned faced each other.

   "I've seen Bakura duel before," Jou warned his partner. "He likes ta play dem effect monsters like da Man-Eater Bug, and he likes ta play dat card, whatchamacallit – Change of Heart. Dose can kill yer Blue-eyes White Dragons easy."

   Seto nodded. "Don't worry about me, Pup. I did not become a master by falling to simple child's tricks. In any case, that's why we're working in a team. He will focus on my Dragons, and you can attack when he doesn't realize."

   Jou was stunned. _Kaiba_ was going to use his _Blue-Eyes White Dragons_ as a feint?! "A-alright…"

   "Quit staring, Pup!" Seto hissed. "I will do whatever it takes to win, even sacrificing Blue-Eyes."

   So the duel commenced, with Ryou and Bakura putting down effect monsters, Seto playing the strongest cards his powerful deck has to offer, and Jou giving everything his uncanny luck has. After a long and arduous time, a winner was decided. (A/N: My "duel writing" sucks…)

   "The winning team is… Seto Kaiba and Katsuya Jonouchi!"

   So, for the second time in a tournament, Jou was forced to duel against his best friend, though the stakes were nowhere near as high this time. (A/N: The first time is referring to Duelist Kingdom in the show.) As Jou and Yugi faced other with a friendly handshake, Yami and Seto were sending glares so sharp that they could have killed.

   As was expected, however, the faithful Dark Magician came through once again for the Pharaoh and his beloved little hikari, and they were pronounced the champions. Few had thought otherwise. After all, Yugi was the winner of Duelist Kingdom.

   The amethyst-eyed boy jumped up excitedly and hugged his dark half. "Yami-Chan, we won! Now we can go eat dinner together! And at a big, fancy restaurant too."

   The Pharaoh smiled and stroked Yugi's hair. "Yes, Aibou, we can go eat at a fancy restaurant." _Together… How I long to be together with you. How I long to touch you as I once did, to kiss you lips!_

   "And now, we have concluded our tournament!" the principal announced, and his voice was carried to the different classrooms via the PA system, though rather needlessly, as almost everyone had been eager to see the outcome of the duel between Yugi and Kaiba. The gymnasium where they dueled roared with applause. "the winners of this tournament are Yugi Mutou and Yami Pharaoh! Second place goes to Katsuya Jonouchi and Seto Kaiba! And third place is taken by Ryou Bakura and Bakura Tombrobber!" (A/N: Eh-heh, horrible last names, ne?) He took out three envelopes. "Would the top three teams come up and claim their prizes?"

   Grinning from ear to ear, the happy Yugi dragged his yami onto the state, followed by an expressionless Seto and Jou, who tried hard not to look at each other. A second later, the doors burst open to reveal Bakura, grinning ferally and tugging on Ryou so hard it seemed like the younger boy was flying. They bowed and received their prizes, some more graciously than others.

   However, as they stepped down from the mini-stage, someone – most likely Ryou – tripped, and they all fell in a tangled heap. His protectiveness as a yami kicking in, Bakura instinctively pulled Ryou on top of him and landed on his back on… something. That "something" turned out to be Seto, his legs straddling Jou's hips, their chests touching and his face, especially the lips, extremely close to that of the golden-haired boy due to Bakura's and Ryou's weight on his back. Most graceful and reacting the quickest – he wasn't King of Games for nothing! – Yami held Yugi's body tightly against his own and rolled away from the mess. Once out of danger's way, he laid down and placed his hikari on top of him so that the boy's head was resting on his chest. All this, of course, took place in the span of a few insignificant seconds. Half a moment later, they all started to move.

   "Get offa me, Moneybags!"

   "Shut up, Puppy, I can't move!"

   "B-bakura? Th-thanks…"

   "Whatever, weakling."

   In the confusion, Yami and Yugi got up and calmly walked away. As they left, they saw a blur of what they assumed was Mokuba tackle his older brother, causing the clump of people to crash down once again. The little boy's voice floated above the noise. "Eeee, Big Brother, you and Jou look so cute toget—mrph!"

   Eventually, everyone calmed down enough to reveal what was going on. Bakura looked the same as always, though he seemed almost to hover protectively around Ryou, as if daring anyone to even touch his hikari. Ryou's hair was messy, looking almost like Bakura's, the ends sticking up all over. Jou was bright red, trying to smooth out his ruffled clothes and refusing to look at Seto. Seto, too, was blushing, one hand grabbing the back of a struggling Mokuba's shirt-collar, and the other hand covering his mouth tightly. Yugi and Yami, of course, were nowhere to be seen.

   Feeling decidedly frazzled, the top competitors in this tournament left hurriedly to get some rest.

   (A/N: Now, we go to poor Jou, who's fortunate – or unfortunate – enough to be in a warm place. ^_~)

   That evening, a tired-looking Jou sat in front of a warm fireplace, head resting on the armrests of the large chair in which he sat. The light of the fire flickered over his face, creating a beautiful orange glow. Surprisingly, he was thinking. And not just about anyone. He was thinking about Seto Kaiba, in whose home he still stayed.

   "Penny for your thoughts, Pup," a soft voice murmured behind him.

   Inside, Jou jumped about ten feet into the air, but physically, he did not move. Only one person called him "Pup", and he would _not_ let him see how startled he was.

   The golden-haired boy turned and glared. "Whad'ya want, Kaiba?!"

   _You_, Seto thought with a smirk. _That beautiful body of yours, perhaps?_

   "Wha'arya smirking at? Hey, talk, da**it!"

   "Temper, temper," Seto tsked. "Remember whose house this is. I can kick you out at any time."

   "Then do so!" Jou growled. "_You_ insisted dat I come her. I wanna leave anyway. In fact, I'm gonna go right now." He took a few steps. "Hey, get outta my way, Kaiba!"

   Seto hesitated, trying to think of a way to keep the honey-eyed boy in. That problem was solved for him as the lights suddenly went out. In the light of the dying fire, he saw what almost resembled fear on his Puppy's face. Jou made a dash for the door, as the fire flickered and died, plunging them into darkness. He clawed at the door, trying to find the security pad necessary for opening it, and let out a whimper.

   "Emergency lights!" Seto called out clearly to the voice recognition system. "Computer, turn on emergency lights in the den! I repeat, turn on emergency lights!"

   "System malfunctioning," came the mechanical voice. "Begin shutdown for reparations. All electrical appliances will be off. Please do not try to enter or exit a room. We are sorry for the inconvenience."

   "Inconvenience? We?" Seto swore. "This is my own mansion! What the he**!"

   In a moment, both occupants of the room realized something. It was getting very, very cold.

   "An', an' I can't even get out," Jou stuttered, shivering. "It's c-cold!"

   "I know it's cold!" Seto snapped. "What do you want me to do about it? Would it help if I warmed you?!"

   _Not a bad idea_, he thought. _After all, I wouldn't want my gorgeous little puppy to get cold again._ With this thought in mind, he walked over to where he thought Jou's voice was and put his arms around the object that he thought was the boy. Judging correctly, he was rewarded by a gasp and a warm body.

   "Wha…" Jou muttered uncertainly. "Seto, whadarya doing?! Why are you…"

   "I'm keeping you warm, Pup," Seto murmured into his ear. The warmth, closeness, and darkness was too much for him, and he leaned down, tracing the shell of that ear with his lips. "I'm keeping both of us warm."

   "K-kaiba?" Jou was startled. "You're a guy! I'm a guy! We shouldn't, we…" His protests had no real will behind them, and he found his body molding into the taller boy's. Jou moaned at the contact.

   Without realizing it, they came to the couch at one side of the room, and Seto pushed Jou onto it, kissing his neck almost roughly and straddling his hips, his breath coming out in labored gasps.

   Jou moaned as he felt something hard dig into his stomach, and he thrust his hips up, wanting something, anything, to stop the pressure building in his tight pants. Now that his eyes have adjusted to the dark, he could see Seto's glimmering blue eyes, deeper than the ocean and the sky, sparkling more than sapphires. "S-seto…"

   "What is it, Pup?" Now, the voice was husky, the tone affectionate. "Do you want to say something?"

   "Love you!" Jou declared, quite suddenly, his arms tightening around the other boy's waist. "Seto, Seto!"

   "I love you too," the rich CEO murmured breathlessly, leaning down for a kiss.

   As his lips touched Jou's, the smaller boy pressed against him, kissing him violently. Seto teased him, running his tongue lightly over his lips. As Jou's mouth opened, Seto flicked his tongue inside, tasting, caressing. His hands set out to quickly remove the boy's shirt.

   "Jou, may I?"

   Honey eyes started at sapphire, and the golden head nodded in trust. "Please…"


	4. Chapter Three: Whose Puppy is This?

Ari: Yes, an update! ^_^

Yugi: About time! The date you set was TWO WEEKS AGO!

Ari: Hai, hai, but I had a History project due. PROJECT. I don't like projects. And then, I decided that releasing this on April Fool's Day would be fun… ^_^

Yugi: O_o I don't like that tone. What do you have planned?  
Ari: Oh, nothing bad… ^_^

Yugi: OO Now I'm REALLY worried.

Ari: *grumbles* Just say the disclaimer and I'll show you.

Yugi: Hai hai… Ari does not own Yu-Gi-Oh, and most likely never will, although she's attempting to make plans, but of course, she never follow plans, so she won't succeed, even if the plan would have worked, which it wouldn't. *blinks* That's a long sentence. Anyway! This story contains YAOI content, if you STILL haven't figured it out. And the pairings, as stated in the summary, are YxY ^_^, BxR (why does Ryou like him?), and SxJ (why is my best friend in love with my worst enemy?).

Ari: *smirks* You say bad things about them, but I know you love them. You love EVERYONE!

Yugi: ^_^ But Yami most of all.

Ari: Hai! Anyway, here's the story, enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yugi: Because you were such great readers, Ari decided to write a little extra something here, that's not tied with the plot. Uhhhhhhhh… A warning… Younger people shouldn't really read this part. It's not an actual lemon, but it might give you bad images… Ari was actually gonna upload it, but her FTP thing won't work right now. I repeat, it's not a real lemon. No flames, and no reporting!

~~~~~~~~~~SPECIAL STUFF! ^_^~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   Sitting comfortably on the bed, Yugi smirked and smiled up at Yami teasingly as he inserted the long, hard shaft into his mouth. His tongue swirled around the object, feeling it almost melting in his mouth, and made a little moaning sound. The spirit whimpered softly.

   "You waaaaaaaaaant it, Yami-Chan?" Yugi's mouth left the object long enough to ask, then went back, plunging the shaft into his mouth, the warm cavern closing around the hilt, where his hands were. Smiling up cheerfully, the amethyst-eyed boy sucked hard.

   "Aibou!" Yami gasped. "Aibou, you're not used to this. Don't' take the whole thing into your mouth, or you might choke."

   Yugi removed his mouth once again to speak. "I'm fine, Yami-Chan. And you just want me to hurry up so _you_ can do this."

   The spirit snickered. "And so what if it's true?"

   "Well…" Yugi considered this for a moment. "You'll just have to wait." Without waiting for a response, his tongue flicked out to lick the tip of the shaft, and Yami groaned. Smirking, Yugi took it fully into his mouth, sucking hard. He was rewarded as a sticky white substance rushed into his mouth, and he drank it down greedily, some dripping onto the bare skin of Yami's legs.

   "Aibou," Yami protested, "look what happened. It's a good thing I wore shorts today, or else that Popsicle would have dripped onto my leather pants!"

   Yugi giggled. "You're the one that suggested we eat lots of sugar while Grandpa's away."

   "Yes, but I didn't mean in your room!"

   Yugi smiled up innocently. "That was fun. We should do it again somed—"

   "NO!"

(A/N: *smirks* Heehee, happy April Fool's Day! Did you have fun reading that? ^_~ BTW, I meant Popsicle as in the thing that has vanilla inside, and it's covered by a chocolate coating. ^_^)

~~~~~~~~~SAFE ZONE NOW ^_^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yugi: Okay, now, onto the REAL fic! Oh, and this chappy actually contains plot. ^_^

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Four

         _Whose Puppy is This?_

   A slap landed on a soft, white cheek, causing a red mark to appear. The white-haired owner of that hand growled, and punched the smooth-skinned boy again, watching as he doubled over. His hikari's pain brought no pleasure to him. It hurt him even more.

   "I was almost ready to forgive you," Bakura hissed angrily. "You warned that stupid spiky-haired friend of yours about my plan, and ruined my chances again! I was going to let you go with only a minor beating, but _this_ thing came! I _told_ you that I would _not_ accept this humiliation, and you still...!! And without telling me!"

   Ryou winced, more at his yami's tone than the physical injuries. "I'm sorry..."

   Bakura slammed him against the wall. "Sorry isn't good enough, you worthless hikari. Would 'sorry' bring me the Millennium Puzzle?!"

   The white-haired boy hung his head in shame. He knew that Bakura really did not care, at this moment, whether he had the Puzzle or not. What raised the yami's fury was the embarrassment of seeing Ryou in the Santa suit. Which, finally, brings us back to the subject of this discussion, the red velvet suit that hung awkwardly on the boy's fragile frame.

   Bakura glared at the suit, his lips curled in distaste. "That thing looks horrid on you. Take it _off_! I can_not_ believe that you're going to wear such an ugly... _thing_... in front of people!"

   "No one's going to know it's me," Ryou tried to reason, and merely received another punch in his guts. He collapsed, sliding to the ground, unable to support the pain. A few loose tears slipped out despite his mental protests. Why was his yami so against everything he did?

   "Take that thing off!" the spirit commanded. "Don't let me see it again until that party."

   Ryou blushed. Take it off? There was one problem with that request. "Bakura... I'm not wearing anything underneath."

   The ring spirit paused. Did he want to see his little hikari without clothes? He shrugged. Ryou looked the same as him... right? "Quit stalling and get rid of the da** thing! There's nothing that you have that I don't."

   With a sigh, the white-haired boy began to remove the red, velvety piece of clothing, aware of the hungry, red-brown eyes staring at him. Bakura realized that he was, in fact, wrong. Ryou _did_ have something that he did not -- a shining aura of sweet innocence that seemed to throb in his veins, pulse like blood. For a second, the teen turned, and Bakura gasped. He noted absently that this must have been how the Pharaoh felt when he saw his own hikari. For a moment, the ancient Tomb Robber was breathless. Ryou's hair, soft as feathers and whiter than snow, glimmered in the mid-afternoon sun as if sprayed with diamond dust. His skin was almost ghostly pale, but a healthy pink blush tinted his cheeks. Though Bakura beat him, he always made sure to heal him, that the soft, silky skin was unmarked, unblemished. A tiny, rosy mouth and large, chocolate-brown eyes, along with his long hair, accented his almost-feminine beauty, but his shoulders were broad, leading down to a very masculine body. (A/N: O_o What am I talking about...? And no, this section had no purpose except that I described Yugi enough times and wanted to describe Ryou. ^_^' Jou's probably next...) Then, he turned, and the moment passed.

   "We," Bakura announced, "are going shopping. I am _not_ eating dinner with someone with _that_ sense of fashion."

   Meanwhile, three people were tromping through the park on this relatively warm winter day, throwing snowballs at each other. Or rather, two people were tromping through eh snow, throwing snowballs at each other and at the tall figure that walked calmly behind them. The white snowflakes were everywhere on them, accenting short golden hair and standing out sharply against long raven hair. The two boys' child-like laughter ran out, much tot he amusement of their azure-eyed observer. However, that amusement ran dry as a wet clump of snow hit him smack in the face, splattering onto his short brown hair.

   "Alright, who threw that?" Seto demanded, brushing snow from his face. He turned towards the sound of giggles, and saw nothing except a tree. Of course, being the extremely intelligent CEO that he was, Seto deduced that whoever it was, was behind the tree. Stealthily, he stalked towards the tree. Silence stretched all around him. Suddenly, he made a grab for whatever was behind the tree, expecting, of course, that it was either his brother, or no one at all. Surprisingly, his hands came into contact with Jou's arm.

   "Seto!" the boy gasped, as his now-lover pulled him into a tight embrace. He relaxed and melted against the tall, slim body, feeling Seto's hands caressing his back, moving up to his neck. He moaned as Seto's mouth moved to his neck, sucking on his skin, slowly sliding up to his ear.

   Seto smirked as Jou shivered from his breath, and gently flicked out his tongue, whispering into the soft ear. "Such a bad little puppy, throwing snowballs at his master. I might have to punish you later... in my room. Of course, we can always start right now..."

   Without waiting for a response, Seto pushed the teen against the tree, his hands running through Jou's mass of golden hair.

   "I didn't throw dat!" Jou protested, but allowed the brown-haired youth to continue the "punishment" anyway. "Mokuba threw dat one, not me!" However, he realized that Seto was not planning to listen, and he just gave up, letting himself be caressed thoroughly.

   Suddenly, something dropped on top of them, knocking them both flat into the snow. As Jou struggled to get out from under the taller teen's body, Seto caught their assaulter. It was none other than a giggling Mokuba.

   "You fell for it, Big Brother!" Mokuba cackled joyfully. "I knew that if I hid in the tree that had Jou behind it, you'll get all kissy-kissy with him and you wouldn't know that I'm here until it's too late. I tricked you, Seto!" He beamed proudly.

   Seto smiled softly. "Yes, you tricked me, Mokuba. My little brother and my Puppy are both growing up now." He frowned. "Speaking of the mutt, where is he? He was here a second ago! If there's something he can't do, it's staying quiet." He looked around. "Jou? Jou! Where..."

   The golden-haired boy spun around at the call of his name, his brows furrowed in thought. He remained tense as Seto ran to him, but relaxed in his arms, rubbing his cheek against the taller boy's neck.

   "Jou... what's wrong? I don't like to see my puppy sad."

   Jou raised a trembling hand and pointed in front of them, to a woman with short, curly, brown hair. "My mother... But where's Shizuka?"

   "Shizuka?"

   "My little sister... She was wit Mom. I... Seto, I think something's happened to my lil sis! I promised dat I'll always be dere fer her. I've never let her down before... But..."

   Seto stroked his lover's cheek gently, lifting his chin up to face him. "Jou, I think you should tell me what happened."

   The boy nodded, his eyes filing with tears, which he brushed away angrily. "Dad started drinkin' and smokin', and he and Mom were always fightin'. One day, Mom left wit Shizuka, but Dad made me stay. He was... an' he..."

   The rich CEO pulled him close comfortingly. "He beat you, didn't he? He hurt you... my precious puppy..."

   Jou nodded.

   "What else did he do?"

   Jou looked away.

   "Abuse? Torture?"

   "H-hai..."

   "Rape?"

   Jou shook his head. "He threatened to, if I didn't do work. An', an' I think he almost did, but he went ta da bar an' I ran ta da park."

   Seto's hold turned more possessive. "You're _mine_. No one is ever going to touch you again except _me_. You belong to me."

   "Hai..."

   During this conversation, the woman was walking closer. Now, she recognized her golden-haired son. "Jou...?"

   The boy tried to look tough. "Yea, Ma, it's me. I guess you're a little surprised."

   Seto frowned. Jou never acted like that around his friends. He was only like that around _him_, before they settled their feelings. Why was he so distant to his own mother?

   "Aren't you with your friend Yugi?" Jou's mother asked. "When I heard that you ran away from your father's home, I expected you to come to either me or Yugi. Who is this stranger?" Her voice lowered. "How do you know he doesn't just want you for your body?"

   Jou seemed to spring away from her. "Ma, dis is Seto Kaiba, da head of Kaiba Corporations. I've been stayin' wit him fer the past few days already. His mansion's safe. No one can break inta dat!"

   The woman gasped. "K-kaiba? I'm sorry, Kaiba-San. I had no idea that my son was bothering you. I'll take him home immed--"

   "That won't be necessary," Seto interrupted. "He will be staying with me."

   "Sir?" She was confused. "For how long?"

   "Forever."

   Jou's mother was pretty much in shock. "What do you mean? Why... What did he do?"

   The golden-haired boy sighed, unsure how his mother was going to accept this. "Ma... Seto's my boyfriend. My lover."

   "Lover? My son... has a male lover? And the richest man in our area, no less." (A/N: I'm stuck. What do I write now?)

   "Ma?" Jou interrupted. "Where's Shizuka? Where's my lil sister?"

   The woman hesitated. "She is... not here."

   "Whaddya mean?!"

   "Your father came and took her back. He... he thinks that you are with me, so he is holding Shizuka hostage until I 'return' you. Or at least, that's what he claims. I think, though, that he knows that I have no idea where you are. He... he said something about visiting your friend Yugi before he hung up the phone. I am on my way to save my daughter. I... I don't want to imagine what he might do."

   Jou was seething in rage. "An' you don't care what happens ta Yug?! He's my best buddy!"

   "What could I have done?" she asked. "Shizuka is my daughter. I must take care of her first."

   "Ya coulda called Yug an' warned him!" Jou snapped. Without warning, he took off, running as fast as he could towards the game shop. Seto glared at the woman and followed his lover.

   "Wha..." Mokuba blinked as his big brother and best friend ran off. "Where are they going?"

   Jou's mother looked down. "Ah... You must be Mokuba, Kaiba's brother. Would you like to help me rescue Jou's little sister?"

   Mokuba grinned. "You bet! I heard everything you said. Don't worry, I can break into houses like a pro!"

   Yugi sighed and snuggled closer to Yami, yawning. He could feel the spirit's hand on his bare stomach, warming him. He had no idea when it got there, or when his shirt slipped up, but he certainly enjoyed it. Unfortunately, he had to move as he reached for the bowl of popcorn, which seemed so far away now. Grumbling, he stood up and picked up the bowl, taking it with him as he scrambled back onto Yami's lap to watch the movie on their big-screen TV. (A/N: What did you _think_ was going on? ^_~)

   "It would have been so much easier if that wizard learned to mind-crush," Yami commented. "Or I guess if would be okay if he learned the Dark Magician's Dark Magic Attack. Then, he wouldn't have fallen into that whatever-it-is thing."

   Yugi giggled. They had the same discussion each time they watched Lord of the Rings. "Yami-Chan, it's a part of the plot! He was _supposed_ to fall. And you've seen the Two Towers already. He comes back, remember? And besides, what would be the point of watching if they just mind-crushed everyone, hmm?"

   The spirit sighed in defeat. "Hai, hai, Aibou. But it would have been so much easier if I was in it..."

   The amethyst-eyed boy was about to retaliate, when suddenly, the doorbell rang. Knowing how much Yami was fascinated with technology, especially TVs and movies, he decided to answer the door and allow the spirit to watch TV.

   He was met with a surprising visitor. "J-jonouchi-san?" (A/N: Jou's last name is Jonouchi, not Katsuya. I checked. ^_^ 'Cause Shizuka's last name is also Jonouchi.)

   The man growled. "Where is my son? Where did you hide Katsuya?! As his father, I demand that you tell me where he is."

   Yugi blinked. "Demo, Jonouchi-san, he's not here. I've only seen him in school. I don't know where he is right now." He hoped that his "innocent act" would work. Technically, he was telling the truth, because he truly did not know where his best friend was _at that moment_, but he could make a very accurate guess. It was clear, to him at least, that Jou loved Seto...

   In a second, Yugi was slammed against the wall. He cried out in surprise, both out loud and in his mind. He could feel Yami coming. He just hoped that the puzzle spirit would spare the man's life. He still Jou's father, after all.

   "Where are you hiding my boy?!" Jonouchi-san demanded again. "Don't play innocent. I know that he's here with you." His hands slid up to the boy's neck. "If you don't tell me in ten seconds, I'm going to choke the life out of you."

   Yugi felt the hands tighten and gasped in surprise. _He really is going to...!!_ He had met Jou's father before, and he knew that he would never do something like this if he was in his right mind. /Yami-Chan! Yami-Chan, heeeeeeeeeeelp! But don't kill him, please.../

   Just as he felt as if he was going to suffocate, Yugi felt the hands loosen and gulped in air. Someone knelt down beside him and pulled him into a comforting hug. Yugi looked up in surprise. "Jou-kun? What are you doing here?"

   The boy ran a hand through his sun-gold hair. "Hey, Yug, y'alright? I was worried 'bout you. See, Seto an' I were walkin' in da park, and' we saw Ma, and she said dat Da was comin' here."

   Yugi nodded. "Hai, Jou-kun, I'm fine. Ne, where _is_ your father? What are you going to do?"

   Jou shuffled his feet and looked down, pointing behind him. There, Yami and Seto held Jou's father against the wall, both glaring at him angrily, one for hurting his lover, one for hurting his Aibou.

   "I dun want dem ta hurt him," Jou murmured, "but I can't forgive him. He hurt me! But dat's not why. On toppa dat, he kidnapped my sister an' almost killed my best friend! But I think Seto an' Yami are more upset."

   "Hai..." Yugi thought for a second. "Ne, Jou-kun, try to keep them from killing him. I'm going to call the police."

   Jou sighed as the tricoloured-haired boy ran into the game shop, ready for the list of questions that the police were going to ask.

   A short while later, someone showed up, but it was not the police. Three people headed towards them. One stopped a short way off, but the other two ran towards the group, one stopping near Seto and hanging onto him, one knocking Jou flat to the ground and hugging him tightly, sobbing.

   "Mokuba..." Seto murmured, and the younger boy's arms tightened.

   Finally, Jou had a chance to sit up. He stared at the person in front of him in amazement. He could not believe his eyes. "Shizuka?"

   The red-haired girl nodded, and hugged her brother again. "Jou, it's me! Oh, Jou, I missed you. I thought that they were going to keep us apart forever." Tears ran down her cheeks. "I'm so glad that you're alright. I couldn't have made it without my brother."

   Jou blushed. "Aw, shucks. I'm not dat great."

   Yugi sighed, watching from the doorway of the game shop. He wished he could run to Yami and hold onto him forever, but he knew he could not. First of all, Yami was quite busy trying to keep Jou's father from doing any more harm. Second of all, he did not want to lose Yami. If Yami became disgusted with him, he did not know how he could live.

   Sirens blared in the distance, and, finally, the police came. They placed handcuffs around Jou's father's wrists and took him into custody. Jou's mother, Jou, and Shizuka went as witnesses, Seto went to support his lover, and Mokuba, of course, followed his older brother. In a moment, the mass of people in front of the game shop vanished.

   "Yami?" the amethyst-eyed boy asked, worried. He could not see his dark side.

   Suddenly, arms encircled his waist, and he was pulled against a firm, warm body. He could smell Yami's spicy scent from the breaths on his neck. He relaxed, melting into the warmth. He wished that Yami could hold him like this forever.

   "I'm right here, Aibou," the spirit murmured. He looked up at the twilight sky, deepening into night. "It's getting late. Perhaps we should eat dinner, finish the movie, and go to bed. You need your rest."

   "Will you stay with me?" Yugi asked. "I'm... I'm scared, Yami-Chan."

   "Shhhhhhhh, of course I'll stay with you," the ancient Pharaoh comforted him. He have an amused shake of his head mentally. This boy, to whom he gave all his attention, once was his slave. Now, thinking about that, he missed having Yugi next to him more than ever. This one boy taught him all he had never known about love. "Don't be scared. I'll protect you."

   Yugi smiled radiantly, and Yami felt his heart leap. _This_ was what he lived for.

   Ryou stared in disbelief at the image standing before him. Snowy hair was tipped with silver, and large chocolate-brown eyes were outlined in black, lips in a dim red. What was more shocking was the outfit. It was all white, melting against his overly-pale skin, creating an aura of ghostly mysteriousness. But that was not the problem. The shirt was not a sweater. The pants were not jeans. Everything was tight and unfamiliar, though not all that uncomfortable. Everything was... leather.

   Ryou turned away from the mirror and opened his mouth to protest when Bakura cut in. "You're wearing this, and that's final. It's a change from those big, bulky, ugly sweaters. Stop complaining. You don't look half bad in this."

   "Demo, it's _leather_!" Ryou pouted. "I can't wear this out in public… It's not decent."

   Bakura rolled his eyes. "The Pharaoh no Baka wears it all the time in public, and you've seen how all the girls – and guys – flock to him. Not that he likes anyone except that little hikari of his." The Tomb Robber shook his head. "And he doesn't even see Yugi's adoring eyes. I can't believe even Pharaoh can be _that_ stupid."

   _You don't see my "adoring eyes" either,_ Ryou wanted to point out, but did not. After all, Yami loved Yugi. Bakura did _not_ love him. He was so busy considering this that he forgot to argue about the clothes.

   The ring spirit grinned, showing his sharp, fang-like canines as he stepped into their washroom to change. Now, if he was lucky, he would escape a certain question that Ryou was likely to ask.

   There was no such luck. The boy's voice floated in from the other side of the door.

   "Bakura? Where did you get the money to buy those clothes? Leather costs a lot…"

   The spirit shook his head. His hikari had undoubtedly guessed, considering what his profession was in Ancient Egypt.

   "I used to be a Tomb Robber!" he called out, reminding the boy.

   He could not be sure, but he thought he heard a muffled, "Just what I was afraid of" from Ryou, and his smile widened, if possible, though still keeping its half-smirking feeling.

   Dressed very similarly to Ryou, Bakura flung open the door, dragging his startled hikari behind him. Without checking to see whether the other was ready or not, he stepped out of the house, walking rapidly towards the newly opened medieval restaurant, his hand still around the boy's arm.

   Finally arriving, the Tomb Robber presented the restaurant certificates to a waitress, who smiled at them warmly.

   "Welcome, brave knight and his lady!"

   Ryou blushed bright red at this comment.

   "He's not a 'lady'," Bakura growled. "He's not my brother either."

   The woman bowed in apology. "My mistake, sir. Will you and your boyfriend please come this way? We have a pair of very good seats for you."

   Ryou's blush deepened, if possible. He was sure that everyone was staring at him, what with the bright crimson of his cheeks contrasting against the pearly white of his hair, clothes, and skin.

   "He's not my boyfriend either," the spirit informed the waitress. "In fact, if you insist on the medieval theme, he would most likely be my squire. He helps me with certain… tasks… and is under my protection."

   The hikari blinked as they were led to a table. _How did Bakura know all that?_

   //I _do_ read occasionally – usually when you're at school," the Tomb Robber replied to his unspoken thought. //But don't tell the Pharaoh no Baka that. I bet _he_ doesn't do anything except daydream all day long.//

   Ryou sensed pride welling from Bakura – a nice pride of achievement, not of putting down another. Could his uncaring yami be changing…? He held onto that hope.

   That night, Yugi lay in bed, warm and happy against Yami's body. He could not dare to wish that the spirit would love him, but he was determined to love his dark half and be close to him whenever possible. The puzzle spirit's arms encircled him protectively, warning danger that to get to Yugi, it would have to deal with him first.

   "Why is everything happening _now_?" Yugi asked, his voice a plaintive bleating. "My… my parents getting killed, Jou's father abusing him, Bakura getting mad at Ryou… Why now, of all times? Couldn't the troubles wait until after the holidays? Isn't this supposed to be a time of peace, joy… love…?" Tears filled his eyes.

   "I don't know, Aibou," Yami murmured. He wished he had an answer to offer. I wish I could tell you…"

   "With all this happening, I wouldn't be surprised if you…" The boy looked away. "No, I won't tempt fate."

   All the same, Yami finished the unspoken sentence in his mind. _"I wouldn't be surprised if you left me too."_ His arms tightened around the boy, offering him comfort and reassurance that he himself did not feel. "I will always be there, no matter what. I will always protect you, and I will never leave." _I will always love you…_

   Yugi nodded, relaxing and going to sleep, and Yami breathed a sigh of relief. It took ass he had to hide just how close danger was, especially since he already had to block the love he felt for his precious Light. He cursed himself mentally for agreeing to stay so close to the boy, to touch and smell him without having him, to participate in this oh-so-sweet torture.

   /Something's wrong./

   Yami nearly jumped as he heard Yugi's voice. //W-what?"//

   The amethyst eyes opened, and Yugi gave his dark side a look. /You're worried about something. I can tell. I'm not as young and naïve as you think, Yami. Tell me what's wrong./

   The puzzle spirit hesitated. Should he tell? He certainly did not want to. But Yugi deserved to now. He sighed. //Pegasus and Malik are here.//

   /Nani?!/

   //They came to Domino yesterday. It's only a matter of time before they strike. They are after more than just the Puzzle…//


	5. Chapter Four: Entrapped

WHEE! I had FUUUUUUUN all weekend! *nod nod* I went to Anime North! It's an anime convention. 

Yugi: Yep… And she saw LOTSA yaoi stuff.

Ari: Yes, I did. It was fun-fun. I'll tell you if you IM me. ^_^ I'm in a hurry to upload this.

Yugi: Right…

Ari: So, disclaimer… Hmmmm, who… Ah! Good idea. KIIIIII!

Kijutsu: O_o Meeee? Fine. Ari does not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters. This story is YAOI. YxY, BxR, SxJ. She does, however, own me, and the poem/song/thing in the middle of this chapter.

Ari: *glomps* Thanks, Ki. Anyway, yes… This chappy doesn't have much SxJ, though. But it's working on the plot. The next two chappies, also, will be mostly YxY and BxR. *thinks* Ummmmmm, what else…

Yugi: Stories…

Ari: Oh yea. ^_^ I'm starting an original fic. It's yaoi. *nod nod* So, wait for it. It'll be on my fictionpress thing. Dunno what it'll be called yet. There's also a Yami no Matsuei fic that I'm writing. I'll finish it soon. It's short. It'll be up soon. It's called "Falling Sakura Blossoms."

Yugi: Right… Now, onto the fic! Oh yea, and this one is particularly long. ^^;

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chapter 4 

         _Entrapped_

   The days seemed to fly by for Yugi and his friends, as they settled into their new environments and busied themselves with new routines. Soon, so soon that it seemed as if no time had passed at all, it was time for Yugi's Christmas dance, Ryou's dreaded party, and Seto's spectacular party the next day. School was coming to an end, albeit a temporary one, and many students' hearts were cheered. Caught in the swirling maelstrom of holiday spirits, Yugi forgot, if only for this moment, his worries, and enjoyed the winter cheer.

   "How do I look?" Yugi asked anxiously, tugging on the spirit's arm.

   Yami smiled. "You look wonderful."

   Yugi pouted. "Aw, Yami-Chan, you didn't even look. How do would you know? I could be wearing nothing."

   _And you would look wonderful like that,_ Yami thought, a half-smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "I saw you put on clothes, Aibou. You're wearing a dark blue shirt and dark jeans, and you look great, as alwa— WOAH!" As Yami turned, his face developed a stunned look. The boy wore a shimmering, close-knit black tank top that hugged his slim body, glowing violet as it caught the light. The spirit's eyes widened as he realized that his Aibou's legs were, in fact, encased in smooth, shining leather. Yugi did not just look wonderful. He was downright gorgeous.

   The boy hesitated. Was Yami's reaction good or bad? Did he like the outfit? "Yami-Chan?"

   Ruby eyes held his own amethyst. There was a passionate light in the crimson depth that was almost scary. Lost in the moment, Yugi almost missed his yami's assessment, the whispered words, "You're the most gorgeous creature on earth."

   Yugi blushed at this comment, suddenly aware of how close Yami stood, how heat flowed through their clothes in waves of pleasure. An insuppressible joy floated at the edge of his consciousness. _Yami_ had complemented him! "And you look even better, Yami-Chan. You look like… I don't know, some wonderful angel from a myth." _Too beautiful to be real…_

   "Well, then, fair, uh… Aibou," Yami announced, bowing mocking and offering his arm. "Shall we be off?"

   The younger boy giggled. His dark side was always so sweet. He wished that there could be something between them…

   _Wait a second,_ a voice in his head protested. _Aren't I with Anzu?_ But when was the last time Anzu tried to comfort him? When was the last time she tried to make him laugh? When had she ever made him feel this way? She was not as kind, not as protective, not as intelligent, not as beautiful… Yugi shook his head. It was impossible. Yami was too good for him.

   "Ready to dance, Yami-Chan?" the boy teased.

   "Only if you dance with me," the spirit replied huskily, and Yugi shivered again from the passion in his eyes.

   Bakura paced around in his soul room, growling impatiently. They were at the Christmas party, and there was _no way_ he was going to be seen. It was bad enough that his hikari was in that humiliating outfit. He did _not_ need to let them se someone that looked like the "guy in a Santa suit."

   After completing it more than fifty times, the ever-changing, trap-filled maze that he called a soul room did not seem so challenging anymore. He called a "challenge" to avoid doing anything connected to the Pharaoh, but it was more like a game. When he was bored, his subconscious mind would change the cryptic labyrinth and hide a treasure inside. All this, he would try to find before one of the deadly trap "kills" him. However, it was too simple now, which made it rather uninteresting. He needed to find a new activity. He decided to sit still.

   It was not the nature of a Tomb Robber to be still, as Bakura discovered less than a minute later. Finally, he decided to visit Ryou's soul room. It had been so long since they shared the same body. (A/N: O_o That sounds wrong.)

   _He has changed,_ Bakura noticed as soon as he entered. Somehow, he could feel it. Ryou had gotten much stronger.

   The Tomb Robber peered absently at his hikari's memories, riffling through the thoughts of the past few weeks. They were filled with fear of him. Not even that gave him a sense of satisfaction, however morbid. He searched for something else. But what, he did not know.

   There… a different feeling, one that he could not quite place. Bakura frowned, trying to figure out what it was. It was alien to him. Or… was it? The strange, gentle sweetness woke a memory deep in the unexplored corner of his mind.

~*~*~ Bakura's Memory ~*~*~

   "Run, Baby! Hurry!" a young woman urged, her youthful face lined with worry. "Don't let them catch you!"

   "But Mama…" Warm, reddish-chestnut eyes stared pleadingly at the white-haired woman, his own snowy mane veiling his eyes and spilling over his shoulders. Tears slid down his cheeks, washing lines through a layer of dirt, revealing soft, tanned skin.

   The woman reached down to pull the little boy into a hug, her hand smoothing his hair. "Run, Bakura. I don't want them to find you."

   She started to push him away, but he hung on, sobbing. What did she mean? Who would find him? Why did he have to leave the only life he had ever known? "But I want to stay with you… Mama, Mama, don't make me go! We can both run. We can hide. Even if they find us, we can fight them." His voice was quick and panicked.

   "They will recognize us," the woman murmured sadly. "They will know you are my son. Your father… Don't let your father get you! He will—"

   Instinct made the boy jump back from his mother's embrace. In the blink of an eye, an arrow protruded from her chest, and her pale rose dress was dyed red by blood. In her last moments, she reached out a hand beseechingly. "Run, my baby. I will try to hold them off…"

~*~*~ End Bakura's Memory ~*~*~

   "I will not allow that emotion to assault me again!" Bakura growled, pounding his fist against a wall. He did not notice the tears gathering in his eyes until one trailed down his cheek. Angrily, he brushed it away, only to have more replace it. For the first time in thousands of years, he sat down, leaning against the wall, and cried. (A/N: Sorry, I'm depressed. I shouldn't write right now…)

   (A/N: Okies! I'm perky-hyper-chipper again! Er, not really. But I can write without making it depressing now…)

   Yami hated dances. He kept telling his Aibou that, but the boy dragged him there anyway. The spirit wondered why he listened to a boy that was once his slave, until he remembered the large, adorable amethyst eyes that stared up sadly, filled with tears that he knew were fake but could not resist, and the cute little voice quavering as it whispered, "Awwwwww, please, Yami-Chan?"

   That was why he was in a corner of the darkened gym of Yugi's school, trying to act inconspicuous and ignore the interested glances of giggling girls. That was why his eyes followed the form of his Aibou, tracing the outline of his delicate body, wishing that it was him that was dancing with the amethyst-eyed boy and not Anzu, trying to repress his jealousy. Yugi was _his_ before. Yugi was his slave… his angel.. his lover. Yami wanted him back.

   The Pharaoh leaned against the wall, slowly sliding to a sitting position. (A/N: Eh? Why's he doing the same as Bakura?) He wondered, sometimes, if he should just forget the love he had with Yugi, if he should just let the boy go. He did not want to. He knew that he could not live without his Aibou. But Yugi did not need him now, did he? He was already a wonderful duelist, and he had the friends that he wished for, friends that could protect him. What if he was just getting in the boy's way? Yugi would be better off without him.

   Someone bounded over to Yami. "Ne, Yami-Chan, why aren't you dancing? They all want to dance with you."

   The spirit blinked. From his seat on the floor, he was staring directly at a pair of long, leather-clad legs, ending at slim hips. He blushed as he realized that he was staring, and quickly shook himself. "I told you, Aibou, I don't dance."

   "Would you dance with _me_?" the boy asked, eyes wide with innocence. "I'm special, aren't I? Hmmmm, Yami-Chan?"

   Yami knew that the pleading, the innocence, the gathering tears were all fake. Still, like before, he could not resist the cuteness. He could not resist anything, if Yugi was the one requesting. And thus, he was led onto the dance floor by his young Aibou, swaying gently to the soft, slow song. His arms went naturally around the boy's waist, resting on his hips, and he felt Yugi's arms around his neck, the tiny hands tangling themselves in his hair. He gasped as the younger teen drew close, resting his head again Yami's chest, over his heart. It felt… right. Though they must have looked strange amongst all the other couples, they did not care. It felt… complete.

   However, the song ended, and the two once-lovers were forced to part. Yami stared wistfully, longingly at Yugi, as the boy shook his head, as if waking from a dream. The spirit sighed. A dream… It could be only a dream.

   "What were you doing?" a feminine voice demanded somewhat-angrily. "Last time I checked, _Yugi_, you were _my_ boyfriend, not his."

   The boy blushed at the implication, more so as a voice in his mind commented, _"not that's a good idea."_ Quickly, he put up his mental defenses to keep the thought from seeping over to Yami.

   //What's wrong, Aibou? Why are you blocking me from your mind?//

   The boy bit his lip. He hated keeping things from his beloved guardian, but he could not let the spirit know just how "beloved" he was. /N-nothing, Yami-Chan. I'm fine. Why do you ask? I'm not blocking you, really…/

   He could tell that the spirit did not believe him by the look that he gave. He turned to other matters, though he could not help but feel uncomfortable keeping something from Yami. "Hai, Anzu, I know. But Yami-Chan looked so sad, and I wanted him to open up to the people here." _I will_ not_ admit that I like being pressed against his warm body… I will _not_ admit that I like being pressed against his warm body… I will n— wait, what am I saying? I don't like being pressed against… Mmmmmm… warm… No!_

   "Well then…" Anzu flashed Yami a fake smile. "Perhaps you would like to dance with _me_?"

   The Pharaoh saw his Aibou's downcast expression and assumed that he did not like for his girlfriend to be with other people. Frowning, he shook his head quickly and backed away. "No, it's alright, Anzu. I think I had enough dancing for a while. It's one of the few things that I have never learned before." _Aibou… I'm sorry… I'm not trying to steal your girlfriend, I swear… I love only you…_

   "I can teach you!" the girl suggested brightly. "I am one of the best dancers here."

   "I know, but I…" Yami hesitated, looking for an excuse. "I'm tired. I'll rest with Yugi for a while, alright? I might dance later."

   Anzu had no arguments, looking as how the ruby-eyed teen had already sat down, pulling little Yugi down beside him. "Why does Yami like _him_? Besides being weak and childish, he is also a _guy_." She glanced back at them, but they were not looking at her. "Oh, just wait, Yugi Mutou, I'll get you for this. I will have Yami or no one will!" (A/N: Eh, don't worry, she doesn't pose a threat. I just feel really frustrated so I have to take my anger out on someone. I know I'm making Anzu really OOC. Sorry to people that like her. I don't mind her, actually, but I'm not feeling very well, so I don't really have the energy to care.)

   Bakura knew that something wrong was going to happen. Every Tomb Robber sense in his head was screaming that something bad was coming. Just waking from his revelry, he almost thought that the Pharaoh's guards were coming before realizing where he was.

   //Ryou! Ryou, watch out! Something bad is going to happen.// His natural yami instincts told him to protect his hikari above all else.

   /So what?/

   Whatever he was expecting, it was not this.

   Ryou continued. /So what? Why do you care? Or are you just too lazy to find a new host? Don't expect me to believe that you actually care about my well-being./

   A wave of coldness washed over the boy's soul room, and Bakura was forced out in a vortex of emptiness.

   //N-nani?!// It was disgraceful for a Tomb Robber to be confused. Still, the Ring Spirit could only blink in stunned silence at the younger teen's soul room, now closed off to him. //Da** it, hikari, why did you _have_ to pick _now_ to grow a backbone…/

   The boy did not answer. Bakura was not even sure if he had heard. But danger was coming this way, aiming for this building. The Millennium Ring tugged at him unceasingly, telling him that he must protect Ryou, before his own life, before the Sennen Items, before world domination, before anything else. Still… his pride would not allow him to be seen.

   As the million-something-th child came up to "Santa", the white-haired teen temporarily forgot his yami's warnings.

   "Hi, Santa!" the little girl greeted, climbing into Ryou's lap. "My name's Rebecca and I'm eight!" (A/N: No, not the Rebecca from the series. I'm just outta names.)

   The boy smiled brightly, though inwardly, he was sighing and waiting for the usual "I want a pony" wish.

   "I want a boyfriend," the girl informed him importantly. "And not just any boy. He's the best-looking boy I've ever seen."

   _Eh?_ The teen blinked. _Isn't she a bit young for this…? Hmmmm… I want a boyfriend too. The best-looking one _I've_ ever seen._

   Rebecca continued, as Ryou's thoughts whirled at a furious pace. "He's kinda tall, but not that skinny, but not muscular either." _Tall, not skinny, not muscular… Hey, I know someone like that too._ "He's really cute, and usually wears white." _Usually wears white…_ "He's always around someone that looks like him."_ Looks like him… Wait, she can't mean Yugi or Yami, can she?_ "He has really pretty, long white hair." _No, they don't wear white, and they don't have long white hair— WHAT?! Hey, now, Bakura's MIN— er, where did _that_ come from?!_ "His name…" she stared at him solemnly, "… is Ryou Bakura." _Oh, good, not my Bakura. Just Ryou Ba… ku… ra… hey, wait a second, that's, that's…_

   "N-nani?!"

   "What?" the girl blinked. "Do you know him?"

   "Isn't he a bit too old for you?" Ryou asked, desperately trying to keep her mind _off_ of him.

   "No, he's only… um…" She counted on her fingers. "Only eight years older. People used to marry people 30 years younger!"

   "Are you sure you don't want something else?" the snowy-haired teen asked. "You see, I know Ryou. He likes someone already. Someone _his_ age." _My age. Riiiiiiiight. He's "only" 5000 years older. Not that much… right?_

   "Oh…" Rebecca was downcast for a second, but then she brightened. "Then, I want a pony!"

   Ryou sighed inwardly. _Here comes the same old boring request again…_ But then, maybe he preferred that.

   Unfortunately, Bakura had been listening to the whole conversation, though without knowing that the object of the boy's affection was him, since Ryou blocked him from his mind. _So, you like someone else, my little hikari?_

   One confused Tomb Robber did not know whether he was angry or upset, or why he was feeling either way.

   "Ne, do you like Anzu, Yami-Chan?" the amethyst-eyed boy asked the figure sitting beside him. "I mean, almost all the guys do." He stared at the dance floor, where the girl was surrounded by admirers. "I'm lucky she chose me… right?" _Then why don't I feel happy?_

   The spirit ruffled his little hikari's hair. "You're not lucky. You're sweet. She's attracted to you for being you, not because she drew your name out of a roulette." _Not to mention how absolutely adorable you look, how warm and soft your body is… No! Not supposed to think about that…_

   "Demo, do you like her?" Yugi asked again. "If… if she asked you out, would you go with her?"

   Yami was shocked. "Of course not! Even if I did like her, she is still your girlfriend. I would never think of…"

   "But what if I liked someone else?" the boy pressed. "What if I didn't like her?"

   The Pharaoh shook his head. "Aibou, I don't like Anzu. Don't worry, we're not going to fight over a girl." _Maybe the girl and I will have to fight over the beautiful boy known as you, but that is a different matter._

   The boy sighed and leaned against his dark side, his head resting on the older teen's shoulders. _Yami-Chan's always so nice to me… what if… What if I'm getting in his way, but he's too nice to tell me? I know that Anzu likes him. What if he likes her too? What if they should be together, but he's keeping back because of me?_ Yugi sighed again. _I hope he doesn't like her… But not for the same reason that he thinks… Because, I… I think that I love…_

   //What is it, Aibou?// the spirit's voice nudged his mind gently. //You are blocking me from your thoughts. And you feel so upset. Have I done something wrong? I'm sorry…// _Aibou… My sweet Aibou, why are you distancing yourself from me…?_

   Shock coursed through the younger boy's mind. /Gomen, Yami-Chan! I didn't realize that I…/ Quicly, his arms encircled the Pharaoh. /It's not because of you, Yami-Chan… I'm sorry I made you feel that way./ _Nothing you do is wrong in my eyes… You're… perfect… to me…_

   (A/N: Heehee, we need more YxY action! ^_~ Yugi: Ari! *blush* Ari: *smirks* If you can embarrass me, I can embarrass you.)

   A moment of silence stretched. Suddenly, Yami could take it no longer. It was pure _torture_ to be this close to his once-lover, and not be able to touch him like he did once before. Throwing caution and logic to the wind, he tackled the younger boy, pushing him to the ground.

   "N-nani?" Yugi yelped in surprise, but made no moves to stop him. He could feel the staring eyes of his schoolmates, but he did not care. Yami's warm body pressed tightly against him. A noticeable bulge jutted from the spirit's pants, as their bodies rubbed together.

   The boy could only gasp as a hot mouth closed over his own, velvety warmth breathing into him. A tongue ran across his lips, pushing gently, asking for entrance. Yugi complied with a loud moan. His body seemed to belong to someone else, out of his control, and he could only submit to the eternal pleasure. Slowly, Yami's hand slipped under his shirt, rubbing his belly teasingly. The other hand slowly went under the boy's waistband, sliding down his pants, fingers dancing on the soft skin. Yugi moaned and thrust his hips up, as Anzu, finally over her shock, growled.

   (Yugi: Woah, hey, _what_ is going on?! Ari: *smiles innocently* What? Don't you liiiiiike this? ^_~ Yugi: Hai, demo… This isn't the plan! Ari: And when did I ever follow plans? Yugi: Demo, it's not… It… Ari: Alright, alright, it was a joke. This isn't the actual story. I'm fluff-deprived, alright? Now, here's the real one… Er, everything from the last A/N up to this one is just an unrealistic piece of fluff.)

   A moment of silence stretched. Yugi stood up. "Yami-Chan, dance with me again! I want to feel your embrace again…" _Oh no! Did I say that last part out loud?_

   For a second, the cocky "Pharaoh's smirk" appeared on the Sennen Spirit's lips. _Oh, you do, do you, my "oh-so-innocent" Aibou…_ However, he gave no evidence that he had heard, wanting to spare the boy the embarrassment. "Dance? Me? How many times must I tell you, I don't dance?"

   The adorable pout was back on the younger teen's face, his earlier comment forgotten. "Awww, Yami-Chan, pwease? Onegai?"

   The Pharaoh sighed, pretending to be resigned. "Alright, but only if you promise me something."

   "Hai? What?"

   Yami smirked. "I'm not telling."

   The boy sulked. "That's not fair. You can't ask me to promise something without knowing what it is."

   Yami shrugged. "You can't use your cute begging eyes on me then. _That's_ really not fair."

   Yugi giggled. "Then I promise you, whatever it is that you want. Just dance with me, Yami-Chan. I'll do anything you say."

   _Anything I say? _the spirit thought, licking his lips. _What a tempting idea. Do you still taste that delicious, my beautiful Aibou? Do you still taste of crystal pure honey? Can I trail my hand down your body, feeling your silken skin? I want to see you, my little angel. But I could never again…_

   Slowly, the ancient Pharaoh was brought back from his revelry by a pair of bright amethyst eyes, so familiar to him. They haunted his every dream, teasing him, taunting him, reminding him of sweet days that could never return. He shook himself. That time was long gone. He should think of the present, of protecting the one he loved – and still love – and of ensuring the younger boy's happiness.

   Smooth glide… The two, Pharaoh and Slave, Protector and Chosen, were lost in each other's eyes… their souls… Fiery crimson shone with the fires of passion, of unreturned love held too long. They blazed, threatening to pull the boy into their all-consuming inferno, but they were faced wit no fear, only eagerness for the fulfillment of that promise. The younger boy's own gentle violet eyes held confusion, and the strange eagerness for the ruby depth, the confusing made more so because of that desire. He did not mind. He never did. Against the reason posed by his mind, his heart asked for something… something…

         Your eyes, shining in the night… 

_         The moon smiles, unaware,_

_         Not knowing, under her blessings,_

_         We two stand, a forbidden pair._

_         Your eyes, a swirling vortex…_

_         The gentle breeze knows your heart._

_         Soft whispers, deathly sighs,_

_         Warning agony, crying "never part"._

_I am entrapped in your gaze,_

_As your eyes tell of love._

_Long-held passions escape,_

_I am lost in your love._

_Your eyes, watching for my heart…_

_The moon understands our plight,_

_As I fall into your embrace,_

_Your sweetness, I set in my sight._

_Your eyes… fiery passion flares…_

_I seek out one last kiss._

_For eternity, I await you here…_

_The spell binds us to the forbidden bliss._

_Forever, I am entrapped in your gaze,_

_As your eyes tell of love._

_Long-held passions escape,_

_I am lost in your love._

_Forever, I am lost in your love…_

   (A/N: I wrote that, for once. *bows* Yugi: *rolls eyes* Ai: *sighs* Okay, okay, it was bad. Sorry, I couldn't find a song for this situation. Meaning, I'm too lazy to look. *stretches* Owie… that song/poem took me 3 days… Yea, that explains my lack of updates. No, no. It took so long 'cause I was at concerts the whole week. Singing, I mean, not attending. No, I don't sing well. *sighs* My poems are getting worse. I used to write lots of them…)

   Yugi took a deep breath. He knew. It was true… All this time, he searched for love. Now, he understood why his heat thumped so loudly around Yami, why his blood rushed in a fiery heat around the spirit, why he would do anything just to please the young Pharaoh. He loved his yami. There was no question, no doubt. Now, he must tell him…

   "Yami-Chan, I have to tell you something…"

   The puzzle spirit smiled encouragingly. "Of course, Aibou. What is it?"

   The boy hesitated. Now that it was the moment of truth, he did not feel so confident anymore. Yami's encouraging smile did not help. If anything, it made it worse. _What if he doesn't like me? What if he hates me forever? What if he leaves me? No! No, no… He wouldn't do that… would he?_ "I… I…"

   "What is it, Aibou?" the spirit hugged him close. "You seem distressed." He buried his face in the younger boy's hair, hoping that he would not notice.

   Yugi sighed, unconsciously moving closer. _What if he does like me? What if I could be with him? What if we could be like this forever? Or… even closer…_ He blushed. _I have to know… I must…_ "Yami-Chan… I…"

   "Ah, Yami, there you are!"

   Yugi almost groaned out loud and Yami growled inwardly. (A/N: Angry groan, not _that_ groan.) Anzu. The spirit sulked as the girl came closer, flashing him a brilliant smile. Right now, he wanted to strangle her. _She_, a little nobody, had interrupted _his Aibou_, the most important person in the world. To him, anyway. He decided to ignore her. "Hai, Aibou?"

   The boy shook his head, eyes downcast with shame. As Anzu approached, he moved away from Yami. The spirit angrily added the girl to his "must kill" list. Even if she did not do so intentionally, she made his precious Aibou leave. Again, he missed the boy's warmth. //Tell me in our minds, if you don't want her to hear. Please, Aibou? I want to know…//

   /N-no… It's nothing…/

   The Pharaoh knew better. His beloved little Aibou was upset. There was _nothing_ worse in the world. //Aibou… you're upset… Tell me?//

   /I…/

   "Oh, Yami!" Anzu cooed. "Can you come with me for a moment? I want to tell you something." Without waiting for a reply, she started dragging him away.

   Yugi stood rooted to his spot, tears filling his eyes. _But I want to tell him something… I was going to tell him first…_ He had a feeling that she was going to say the same thing that he wanted to.

   The spirit stood stiffly. "Last time I checked, you were with my Aibou, not _me._ Perhaps you should talk to _him_."

   The last thing the boy heard before they were out of range was Anzu laughing as she said, "Don't worry, I'll dump him in a second."

   With tears streaming from his amethyst eyes, the teen ran out the closest doors, into the frigid night air. A cold winter wind blasted at him, clearing his mind. Slowly, he sank down against the wall, under an overhang, shivering with cold. He had left his coat inside. He did not care. Silent sobs raked through his tiny body. _Why did I tell him earlier? Why didn't I realize sooner…? Yami-Chan… Yami-Chan…_

   At this heartbreaking sight of shattered innocence, one person stared coldly, hidden in the shadows…

   There was no warning as the large double-doors burst open. Ryou jumped in his seat as a person came in, bearing a large, dangerous-looking rifle. His first thought was, _Bakura was right._ Now, what could he do?

   //Get out!!// the Tomb Robber yelled. //Out, out, OUT!! It's not safe in here. He's insane! Get out, Ryou. He's gonna shoot!//

   /Demo… What if he hurts the children?/ Ryou asked plaintively, his chocolate-brown eyes wide with fear.

   //I don't care, da**it!// Bakura declared. //They're not _my_ children, are they?! However, you _are_ my hikari, so I'm going to protect _you_. Oy, get _out_ of here already! If you're that worried about the stupid brats, I'll come back in after them.//

   Disapproval flowed through their link. /How can you be so cruel? How can you just disregard them like that? That's… that's cold-blooded!//

   The ring spirit was getting impatient. And hurt. For a second, he tried to ponder why, but quickly gave up. A Tomb Robber did not care about why his heart ached. //I _said_ I would come back!//

   Ryou was still not moving.

   //I never said I wasn't cold-blooded!// Bakura snarled in irritation. //And I am _so_ giving you a beating when we get home!//

   The gunman looked around, eyes mad but cunning. Suddenly, they fixed themselves onto the snowy-haired teen. Licking his lips suggestively, he stalked towards the petrified Ryou.

   "Well, well…" It was now close enough to hear him. "What have we here? A pretty little toy for me to play with, I think." Slowly, he trailed a finger along the boy's jaw line, his nails just barely brushing the delicate skin.

   "What are you doing?" Ryou yelped, slapping his hand away. "Get _away from me!" /B-bakura, he's… Ahhhhh, help!/_

   The spirit smirked humorlessly. //Running back to me now, hikari? I thought I was "cold-blooded". Why should I help? If he _wants_ you, he can _have you.//_

   Unexpectedly, the children came to the teen's defenses. They glared at the gunman angrily.

   "Hey, get away from him!"

   "Yea, he's _our Santa!"_

   A few braver ones approached. "If you don't leave him alone, we'll beat you up!"

   The man laughed mockingly. "This boy is no Santa." Reaching, he pulled off Ryou's cottony white beard.

   "We know what he is!" a little girl explained patiently, as if she were a parent and he a foolish child.

   Suddenly, there was a gasp. "R-ryou-Chan!"

   The snowy-haired boy turned and saw little Rebecca staring at him, her eyes tearful.

   The gunman smirked cruelly. "That's right, pretty little Ryou-Chan. Want to stay and see what hot little things I'm going to do to him, or are you all too young? Of course, I'm sure _some of you would just love to see his beautiful butt."_

   /Bakura! Help, please…/ There was no response. The ring spirit could be very stubborn, especially when offended.

   "Each time you displease me, pretty Ryou," the gunman whispered, "I will kill one of these children. Starting with the little girl that oh-so-kindly told me your name."

   The boy shook his head in fear.

   "Well, then, let's start." With a sickening smile, he slid his hand beneath the waistband of Ryou's pants and started to move down.

   "Don't touch me!" the teen yelped, jumping away. Horror hit him as he realized what would happen now. He had doomed the children.

   "Tsk, tsk," the man smirked. "Don't say I didn't warn you." Hefting his gun, he pointed it at Rebecca.

   "No…" Ryou whispered. "No, please don't… I-I'll obey, just don't…" /Bakura… Help me, onegai… Yami…/

   //Hmph.//

   "Too late…" The man laughed maniacally, and pressed the trigger.

   Time slowed for the snowy-haired hikari. He did not know what he was doing, only that he must not allow anyone to get hurt because of him. As the bullet struck flesh, blood spilled onto red velvet. Ryou reeled back from the impact, staring at the wound in incomprehension. Blood… Red blood… Blood was coming out of him, and his stomach hurt.

   The gunman was not thus stunned. In a flash, he grabbed the boy's wrist and tossed him through the wall-high window, jumping down after him, both falling down 30-or-so floors.

   //Ryou!// the ring spirit called, shocked. This was all wrong. He could not let his hikari die. That stupid girl that liked _his_ Ryou was supposed to die. His Ryou. _His Ryou should have run from the beginning. He kept telling himself that he protected the younger teen only because he could not be bothered to find another host. But deep down, he knew it was something different._

   Bakura did the only thing he could think of. He came out of the Sennen Ring, appearing on the sidewalk below. Using his powers, he slowed down the snowy-haired boy, catching him at the bottom. Being so worried about his hikari, he did not spare even a glance a the splatter-which-was-the-gunman.

   //Ryou… wake up, hikari!//

   There was no response. The younger boy was losing blood too quickly. And Bakura could not heal him. Healing was never his strong point, and he was exhausted from slowing the boy down. //Da**. If he goes on like this, he's going to fall into a coma. The da** hospital's too far away. Think, Bakura, think. Who else can heal him? Who else has Shadow Powers, and is relatively fair, whose hikari can convince him to save my hikari? Oh. Da**! DA**IT!//

   "Urngh…" The white-haired teen stirred in the Tomb Robber's arms. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, staring up with a dazed and confused look. "Bakura…? Wha, where… Owie, hurts… What did I do this time, Bakura…? I… want to say… A-aishi—" His head lolled to the side before he could finish. /Don't feel so good… Tired… going to… sleep…/

   //No! Da**it, hikari, wake up! Ryou, no, don't go to sleep now, or you might never wake up!// Bakura shook the boy, though not too roughly. //Come on, it wont' take long. Help me find the Pharaoh no Baka, so he can heal you!//

   Ryou shook his head groggily. /Too tired… Must… rest…/

   As the teen hung limply in his arms, the ring spirit growled in frustration. Ryou _must not sleep, or he might fall into a coma. There was only one thing he could do. As much as he hated his hikari's costume, Bakura took over his body. He was stronger, more used to the pain. He would survive the walk. But… where was he supposed to go?_

   "G-gomen, Ryou-Chan," a little girlish voice piped up.

   Bakura spun around, to see the girl with a crush on his hikari.

   "I didn't mean to cause trouble for you," she continued, peering at him anxiously. "I hope you're alright…"

   "It's alright," Bakura said, smiling. "I'm fine. I'm sorry to have worried you." _Gah, what am I doing?_

   The girl breathed a sigh of relief. "Ne, Ryou-Chan?"

   "Hmmmm?"

   "I think I know who you're in love with…"

   "Oh?" The Tomb Robber raised an eyebrow. _Good… Now, I can kill the competition… Wait, what am I saying?!_

   "Ryou-Chan… Is it the white-haired guy you're always around?" she asked in a tiny voice. "You always look at him in such a loving way, and you try to touch him… and…" (A/N: O_o Smart lil 8-year-old…)

   _Stop saying my hikari's nam— Wait, me?_ Bakura was in shock. _You think that Ryou loves me? How am I supposed to tell you whether he does or does not…_ "That… is for you to find out."

   As little Rebecca walked away, the Sennen Spirit stood there, in his hikari's body, staring at the white flakes of snow. White like Ryou's hair… White like Ryou's heart…

   He did not realize he had been moving until he saw a familiar sight. The Pharaoh's hikari's game shop. Taking his own form and cradling Ryou close, he went in, greeting the old man at the counter.

   "I am, u h, an acquaintance of the Pha— er, of Yugi," he murmured softly, trying to appear like Ryou. "My um, brother – a friend of his – is hurt. We need his – er, Yami's – help."

   Sugoroku Mutou shook his head. "I'm afraid both Yugi and Yami are at their school dance. Why don't you stay here a while? We can use a first-aid kit on your brother, or call the hospital."

   Bakura shook his head. "Only Yami can help now." It was true. The boy was so withdrawn in his mind that only strong healing magic – magic that the Tomb Robber did not possess – could save him. "I will go find him."

   Sugoroku shrugged. "If you insist, then go ahead. You do know where the school is, right?"

   The spirit nodded as he ran out. "Thanks, old man."

   //Hold on, Ryou… Hold on…//

   A few blocks away, Bakura slowed down, gasping for breath. He could not run with Ryou's body, or the blood would start flowing again, so he carried the boy in his arms. However, though still a fragile little hikari, Ryou was much heavier than the child-like Yugi. The Tomb Robber could only lay him down on a snow-covered bench as he leaned against a wall and rested.

   That was when it happened. A pair of bright lights blasted through the spirit's night vision, temporarily stunning him. A limo screeched to a stop, its tinted windows revealing nothing. Before the stunned Sennen Spirit could react, two men came out, grabbed something, and dragged it back to the vehicle. Light clouded Bakura's vision once again, as it drove away.

   When he could see again, Ryou was gone. (A/N: You saw that one coming, didn't you… C'mon, you MUST have.)

   "Nooooooo! DA** YOU!!//

   "Oh, Yami!" Anzu purred, holding the Pharaoh's arm. "Has anyone ever told you how… _sexy_… you are?"

   The teen looked at her hands in disgust, hoping she would get the message. Of course, she did not, and he had to pull away. "Yes, indeed, many people have. What about it? It doesn't matter what you think. Only one person matters…"

   "Am I that person?" the girl asked, batting her eyes. When Yami did not answer, she glared. "Or is it that brat, Yugi?!"

   "Don't you dare speak of him that way!" Yami growled, eyes flaring. "And yes, it is him. Yugi is the only person that matters."

   Tears appeared in Anzu's eyes. "But Yami… I love you. I really do… Yugi doesn't. He's a _guy, Yami… He likes __me, not you."_

   The spirit drew a sharp breath. Those words, though spoken in ignorance with no evidence behind them, hurt him more than anything else had ever done. _Aibou… Aibou doesn't love me…?_ Of course, he knew that. But it hurt so much more, hearing it from someone else. It made it… real. "That's right. He likes you, so stay with him!"

   The blue-eyed girl sulked, annoyed that her "teary eyes" did not work. (A/N: Of course not, baka. Only Yugi's work. And mind. *nod nod* Or at least, they work on Sage. *smirks* And my big sister I-Chan! ^_^) She decided to try it another way. "Demo, Yami, I love you! I don't want to live without you! Please, Yami. I'll… I'll leave Yugi. Please? Just kiss me once…"

   Yami pushed her away in disgust. When he spoke, his voice was calm and deadly. "Need I remind you that it was you who promised love to my Aibou? I knew you didn't mean it then, nor do you mean it now. I let you be with him because it made him happy. If he gets hurt because of you, I will kill you. Don't look so shocked. If you did truly love me, I would have felt sorry. As it is, you only lust after my body. You disgust me, Anzu."

   The girl was furious. No one had ever denied her before. Growling, she grabbed the spirit's wrist. (A/N: O_o Erm… What I writing?)

   /Ahhhhh! Yami-Chan, HELP!/

   The Pharaoh gasped. "Aibou!" He looked around, but could not find Yugi. //Aibou, where are you?//

   "What?" Anzu frowned. "Quit talking about Yugi and be with _me_." Once again, she tried to draw close.

   //Aibou! Aibou, say something! Talk to me!// Yami was frantic with worry. //Yugi, sweet one, please… please be alright!//

   /Urgh…/ Yugi's voice was dazed. /Can't think… Y-yami-Chan, please come get me… Some… person… taking me  away… Head hurts… B-black limo. S-s-someone inside… White hair… Ummm, um… My friend… Name, um… Oh! Ryou! Ryou tied up… M-must sleep…/

   //Aibou!! IIE!// There was no response. _No… NO! They captured my angel… And Ryou? The Tomb Robber must be worried too. And I can bet it was them__. I will__ get my Aibou back and destroy them once and for all! (A/N: You should know who he meant by "them".)_

   Lost in his thoughts, Yami did not realize how close Anzu had come. Now, she was trying to kiss him. Quickly, he tried to push her away. "What are you _doing_?! Get away from me!" But somehow, he had lost his strength.

   A shiny metal punch bowl came to the Pharaoh's rescue, as it slammed onto Anzu's head. The reddish liquid streamed through her hair and down her fae. She had a second to look surprised before she fell. Yami blinked, glad he could go find Yugi now. But… why did the blue-haired girl that dumped the punch look so familiar…? (A/N: Sage-Chan's cameo! -^__________^-)

   "Go!" the mysterious rescuer (*coughsagecough*) hissed. "Hurry, before something happens! He went out _that door."_

   Nodding, Yami bolted out as fast as he could go. Now… How to find the place?

   "Pharaoh!" an irritated voice greeted him. "What are _you_ doing out here? Shouldn't you be in there with your precious little Yugi?!"

   The puzzle spirit shook his head, too worried to argue. "They captured him! I'm sure it was _them_! And from what he said before he blacked out, Ryou is in there too! Listen, Tomb Robber, we must work together on this one. Our hikaris' lives depend on this…"

   Bakura nodded, though reluctantly. "That was the first bit of sense I have ever heard from you. Now, how do we find them?"

   "I think I have an idea…"

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Ari: Well… Glad that Yami has an idea. I really don't. ^^;

Yami: ^________^ I have no idea either.

Ari: O_o Right… Well, um… Readers… Help? Please? ^_^ The one whose idea gets chosen gets the next chappy dedicated to them. I have an idea, actually, but it's not good… If your is better than mine, I'll give you credit. ^_^


	6. Chapter Five: Battle of Millennia

Lookies, lookies, I updated! It took a pretty darn long time, but hey. ^_^

Yugi: *flipping through the story* Hey, that's not right! This is only half the chapter!

Eh-heh, yes it is. I only managed to get half a chapter done. 'Cause a reviewer e-mailed and told me that Oct 25 was Seto's birthday, and according to her, "Wouldn't it be nice to update for his birthday?" And, ah, I've procrastinated enough, that I have…

*thinks* What else? Ah, I won't be updating in a while. I've entered a thing (Shenya talked me into it!) that takes place in November called NaNoWriMo. (www.NaNoWriMo.org) 50 000 words… O.O If you wanna meet the characters from my novel for that, you can IM me on MSN. My two yaoi-boy bishounen will occasionally "borrow" my computer and bug my friends. *snickers*

Yugi: The chapter…

Oh, yea. I'll be finishing this chapter eventually. Maybe after December. (Zoo's Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic contest ends in December… .) I'll be posting the completed chapter (so, including this part) later, k? ^_^

Ah, anyway, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, you've had enough yaoi warnings, so here it is! ^_^

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Chapter 5

            _The __Battle__ of Millennia_

   Violet eyes blinked open groggily and saw… nothing. There was darkness, darkness, and more darkness. It was not the warm darkness of the night, comforted by his other self, but the cold void of nothingness.

   Darkness without Light.

   A soft groan alerted Yugi to the presence of his companion, the soft rustle of cloth indicating movement. Yugi smelled the coppery-sweet scent of blood; and it was not his own. All of a sudden, his mind was awake. More awake than before, in any case.

   "Ryou! Ryou-kun, are you alright?" Now that his eyes have gotten used to the lack of light, he smaller teen could make out the curled-up white shape not far from where he was. The figure groaned again, and Yugi hurried to help… and found heavy chains around his wrists. But even more than that… the lack of a familiar weight. The Sennen Puzzle.

   "Y-yugi?" the soft voice of the snowy-haired hikari whispered. "Yugi-kun, they got you too? I'm sorry…"

   The shorter boy shook his head, though it was pointless in the dark. "It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself." He tried to calm his trembling voice, to give a pretense of confidence. "And besides… we are not alone. I'm sure our yamis will come find us. I'm sure…"

   _Yami-Chan, where are you…?_

   The Spirit of the Ring narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "An idea, Pharaoh? What large, elaborate, stupid plan do you have, and why should I trust _my_ light to it?"

   "Because," Yami pronounced slowly, with mock patience, "_my_ Aibou is at the same place. And as you should know, he is the most important thing in the world to me. Do you really think I would make a plan that would endanger him? How idiotic are you?"

   Bakura sneered. "Oh yes, I know how precious he is. Did you have fun sleeping with him in this epoch?"

   A growl served as a warning. "Are you going to rescue your hikari, or are you just going to stand here and provoke me until my patience runs out and I banish you to the Shadow Realm?! This would be much easier by myself."

   "As if you could!" Anger glinted from chestnut-red eyes. "Out with this 'idea' of yours already!"

   The trademark cold smirk touched the Pharaoh's lips. "Foolish Tomb Robber. How could you not have thought of this? It is simple. Simply tell your Sennen Ring to track Yugi's Puzzle. I don't know if it can find the other copy of itself, but it _must_ be able to find my Aibou's item. I am sure they're keeping Ryou with my Aibou."

   The Ring Spirit snorted. "Of course, we go to find _your_ hikari. What if Ryou is elsewhere? What if the people that took them threw away the Items to throw us off? They must not be wearing them for us not to sense them! Have you thought of that, you think-headed Pharaoh?"

   "Whoever grabbed hem had a reason to choose them specifically. They would know of the Sennen Items' powers. But the Items are not at their full powers because we hold half of them… Whoever kidnapped the hikaris are using them as bait…"

   "…to draw us there," Bakura agreed. "Well, then, let's go. _No one_ messes with what belongs to _me_."

   Following the direction the Ring pointed, Yami smiled faintly. Somehow, he knew the Tomb Robber meant more than the golden Ring of power. They had one thing in common, he Pharaoh and Tomb Robber, and that was love for their lights…

   "'Nii-sama! 'Nii-sama, how does this look? I decorated it all by myself!"

   The excited call brought Seto Kaiba, teenage extraordinaire, down the carpeted grand staircase, a frazzled-looking Jounouchi following behind him. The blonde had to smile: The great Seto Kaiba, coming at the beck and call of a 10-year-old. He knew that, contrary to popular belief, the CEO _did_ have a heart. One piece of it now belonged to him…

   "'Nii-sama, hurry up! I'm in the living room – uh, the private one that I like to use."

   The ghost of a smile graced the taller teen's lips, softening his usual condescending smirk. "I'll be right over, Mokuba."

   Jounouchi could not help but coming. "What, Seto Kaiba, talking in a civilized tone that doesn't sound like he's trying to kill someone?" He shrank back under his now-lover's glare, but continued to snicker. "Whaaaaaat? You set yourself up for it."

   "Heh. You are pushing the limits, mutt. I might have to punish you for this later."

   Honey eyes widened in mock fear. "Oh no, I'm terrified, moneybags. What are you going to do, sic your hologram Blue-Eyes White Dragons on me?"

   A second later, the shorter boy found himself pressed against the wall, with a husky voice promising delicious threats in his ear. "Don't say I didn't warn you, up. Now you'll get what you had coming. Let's see, what should I attack first?"

   Jou whimpered at the sudden pressure at his grin, as a slim leg pushed between his. Luckily (or unfortunately), he was saved from further "torture", at least for the time being, by a third – and much more impatient – shout.

   "'Nii-sama, where _are_ you? I've been waiting here forever! Well, the clock says 2 minutes, but still…"

   The cold teen chuckled at his little brother's antics. "I'm right outside, Mokuba."

   Pushing open the door, the two older boys gasped, Jou's gasp turning into a strangled choke as he tried hard not to laugh. He knew that, lover or not, Seto would _kill_ him if he made fun of the raven-haired kid.

   "Soooooo?" Mokuba asked expectantly, arms thrown wide and gesturing to his creation dramatically. "How does it look?"

   "It's wonderful," the CEO murmured, shooting a glance at the blonde, who mumbled "Yea, great" under his breath. Both teens' eyes held amusement, for, in front of them was a decorated Christmas tree. It was not just any tree, but one that Mokuba decorated by himself. It would explain why all the lights and ornaments, all the tinsels and garlands… were piled on the bottom few branches of the freshly-cut mini-fir.

   The younger child caught the direction of their gaze and cheerfully explained, "Ah, see, I was too short to reach the top. 'Nii-sama, Jounouchi-kuh, can you help me? I need to put up the star and plug it all in…"

   Giggling, the boy stretched to the top as the golden-haired teen lifted him up. The lights flared to life as Seto plugged them in.

   "Now we can decorate the house for the party tomorrow!" The one declaration was enough. The family-plus-one-outsider got to work.

   The heavy wooden door of the abandoned warehouse burst into tattered splinters from the force of two Sennen Items released in full anger. Two shining objects, one triangular, one circular, alighted two figures shadowy silhouettes against the blackness of night and white speckles of snowflakes blown in the blizzard. From within the shaded interior of the building, two came out to meet them. Had there been lightning in the background, it would have been appropriate.

   One voice broke the silence that seemed to stretch into eternity.

   "WHERE IS MY AIBOU?!"

   The outraged shout shattered the spell, as all action started again. Voices swam in the confusion.

   "Whatever do you mean, Yami-Boy? Whyever would _we_ have him?"

   "What are _you_ doing here? You weren't sealed! How did _you_ appear again?!"

   "Oh, if it isn't my bandit partner. How was your 3000-year sleep? _Some_ of us didn't have to go through it."

   "Were did you put my Aibou? If you harmed him, I swear I'll—"

   "Like you wouldn't try that anyway? I know you hate me, Yami-Boy."

   "It was _your_ fault that I got trapped! And now, I'm stuck with a hikari-thing who _you_ kidnapped."

   "Oh? And isn't it better now that you're rid of him? The oh-so-great Bakura doesn't need anyone, does he?"

   The clouds of accusations and fury, of sickening sweet mockery, finally calmed long enough for the Puzzle and Ring spirits to find their opponents. The first stage, the provocation, has ended. Now the true battle began.

   It was said that when one was blind, one's other senses would be sharper. Yugi discovered the truth of this as a muffled bang woke him from a restless sleep. He peered into the cold, uncaring darkness, just barely identifying the dim white shape nearby as Ryou. The shorter boy shifted, reaching over to shake his friend from sleep… when his supporting hand landed in a warm, wet puddle.

   "R-ryou-kun? Ryou-kun, wake up! Please be alright…"

   A faint moan signaled the snowy-haired boy's consciousness. "Yugi? Where are we? Where… where's Bakura? My yami…"

   "He's coming! I know he is. They'll come save us. They will…" In the darkness, tears slid down the amethyst-eyed boy's cheeks unnoticed, so contrary to his calming and confident tone. _What if Yami isn't coming? What if he doesn't care? What if he didn't even notice? He was busy talking to Anzu after all. He wouldn't miss me… not with everyone else there…_

   "Yugi-kun, what's wrong?" Ryou's voice was gentle, concerned. "Yugi-kun, they'll come. We have to believe in them. Remember? You told me to believe a little while ago. Now it's your turn…"

   _Believe… That's right, I have to believe in him… I can't let all my words about trust and faith be empty. He's never let me down before._ "Un. Arigatou, Ryou-kun. We'll trust in them together, ne?"

   As this was said, a door crashed open, throwing in blinding light. Two figures stood silhouetted. Yugi's hopes rose…

   …and came crashing down. The dark shadows of evil did not belong to his protector, to the one he loved.

   "You two get up!" a rough voice growled. "We've been ordered to take you to the main room. Apparently, some people came looking for you. Our boss is considering… bargaining… with them."

   Yugi's blood ran cold. "They… they won't listen to you! They won't agree to your terms…" _No… No! We can't let them have the Sennen Items…_

   The henchman laughed mockingly. "Take a look at your hands, little boy. They are dyed red with your friend's blood. It is by the boss's power that he still breathes. I would say that his life is price enough for his look-alike's treasure, don't you think?"

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Cliffy? Yes. Ari-Chan evil? Yes. Hey, at least you get an update.

Please R&R! I'll finish this chappy later…


	7. Chapter Six: The Continuing Battle

I'M ALIIIIIVE! Thank you to everyone who waited patiently - or not-so-patiently, as the case may be!

Instead of finishing the previous "chapter", I'm actually going to start this as a separate chapter. Anyway. This story _should _be done in one or two more chapters, excluding this one. Yes, I will get off my lazy bum and finish this up. Mostly because I've almost completely forgotten what happened and had to re-read it, and I'd rather not have to re-read my own stories each and every time I update.

Anyway, the first few paragraphs in italics are from the end of the last chapter, just to recap.

So, now then…

Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and its characters don't belong to me. Oh, boo hoo.

Warning: Yaoi, Yami x Yugi, Bakura x Ryou, Kaiba x Jou. But you know that already, don't you?

Oh, and just a note… I actually kinda like Malik now. But I didn't, at the time I started this, and we can't really switch villains in the middle of a story, now, can we? XD

* * *

Chapter Six: The Continuing Battle

_"You two, get up!" a rough voice growled. "We've been ordered to take you to the main room. Apparently, some people came looking for you. Our boss is considering… bargaining… with them."_

_Yugi's blood ran cold. "They… they won't listen to you! They won't agree to your terms…"_

_The henchman laughed mockingly. "Take a look at your hands, little boy. They are dyed red with your friend's blood. It is by the boss's power that he still breathes. I would say that his life is price enough for his look-alike's treasure, don't you think?"_

Soft copper eyes took on a brave front. "He… he doesn't care about me. At all. You can't goad him into anything."

"Hah. He'll care soon enough when you cry out, your body writhing in agony. You… or your little friend."

Ryou clenched his teeth, hiding the misty layers of tears in his eyes. "I won't cry out. The pain he had dealt me is far greater than anything _you_ could do. I've survived that. I… won't…"

_That's right…_ the shorter boy encouraged in his mind, though knowing his friend could not hear. _That's right. We must not make a sound. We can't give whoever captured us another weapon against those we love. We must be brave. And why not? Why wouldn't we be able to? We have both taken much punishment without flinching._

The thugs did not seem fazed by the act. Without speaking, they grabbed the two hikaris, unlocking their chains and leading them out the door. Through a lantern-lit corridor that twisted and turned like a maze, they marched, climbing and descending stairs. Finally, the two henchmen chose a door.

The second man, the one who had been silent until then, spoke up now, as they threw open the door.

"Let's just see how much your words are worth, little boy. Heh heh heh…"

When the teens' eyes adjusted to the sudden intake of light, both gasped in unison. However, none seemed more surprised than the leading henchman. Obviously, this was not what he expected. Yugi took comfort in that fact.

It was the central room of the warehouse, its large gates blown off their hinges. Moonlight filtered in, sparkling mysteriously on the… giant, obsidian dust cloud in the middle of the room. The giant dust cloud out of which came beams of black and white, resembling rays of laser.

"So this is what a Sennen Item fight looks like…" Yugi mused, staring curiously, forgetting his fear for the moment. "I wonder which side is which, though."

"We'll find out soon," the snowy-haired boy murmured, and his friend knew his plan. "Well, shall we?"

Each counting to three in his head, the boys broke away, leaving behind their bewildered captors. Luckily for them, stray beams of ebony shot past, knocking out the unfortunate thugs. However, that did not help matters. Did their Yamis try to help? Or was it just friendly fire that missed…? Within the laser labyrinth, the boys did not know what to do.

White beams came, shooting straight in between them…

Instinctively, Yugi and Ryou leapt away… to opposite sides.

"Ryou? Ryou, where did you go?"

"Y-Yugi-kun! I can hear you, but…"

"Ryou-kun, hold on, I'll come ov—umph!"

"Yugi? Yugi! Yuuuugiiii.."

There was no answer. Not watching his surroundings, the albino boy bumped into something – or someone.

"Y-Yugi?"

Suddenly… darkness. The last thing Ryou noticed was a flash of gold… and a headache.

"Aibou…"

Yugi relaxed. After being separated from his friend, he had been calling out, when, suddenly, a hand clamped over his mouth and he was pulled against a body roughly. Now, he knew he was safe.

"Aibou, I was so worried about you! What happened?"

The tricoloured-haired boy leaned against his dark half, reveling in the momentary sense of security. "I… just went out for a breath of fresh air, and… I don't remember. I tried calling for you, but then everything blacked out, and I woke up in a dark room with Ryou-kun. Oh, Yami-chan, it's horrible! These people's 'boss' wanted to exchange Ryou and me for the—"

"I know, Aibou. I know." The Spirit of the Sennen Puzzle leaned against a wall and tilted his head back, marveling in the wetness that traveled down his cheeks. Relief. Gratitude. His Yugi was safe. His light. His life and heart. "We're… we're fighting them, Bakura and me. This is… the Shadow Realm. That is why I could see you, though you were virtually blind here. Only trained eyes could see through this 'dust'. Here, the Tomb Robber and I hold the advantage."

"So you're winning?" The shorter boy beamed. "I knew you would, Yami-chan. You're the bestest one there is."

The Pharaoh had to laugh, despite the seriousness of the situation. "Don't make up words, Aibou. And yes, we are wining, though barely. However… it's strange. It's unnaturally quiet. I don't see anyone attacking; us _or _them."

"Oh! What colour were you?"

"Black. We are the darkness, Aibou. You and Ryou are the light."

"Ryou!" The boy looked around. "Where _is _Ryou?"

"Perhaps Bakura had found him…"

"Not so, _my Pharaoh_," a voice sneered. "But someone indeed has. _I _have, to be precise. And Bakura, are you listening? If you don't give me the Sennen Ring… this boy here dies."

"Hikari!" The thief's voice came out of the darkness to Yugi's left. "Hikari, answer me! I command you! Don't you _dare _die!"

Ryou's captor laughed. "Scream all you want, my bandit thief friend. He won't answer."

"What! Is he…"

"Dead?" the infuriating voice mocked. "No, but he may be, soon enough…"

Yami hesitated. This did not bode well. Malik and Pegasus might not be native to the Shadow Realm, but they certainly navigated it much better than the two lights. Ryou was already taken, and Yugi was now frantic with worry. If _his Aibou _were to be captured too… He knew that he would rather hand over the powers of his Puzzle than to see the boy hurt.

"Shadow Realm… Dispel!"

The effect was that of dust settling, blackness sinking to the ground and dissipating like a fog. Four figures were left standing, not far from each other. Yami shifted his stance, ready for battle. Held protectively behind him, Yugi looked around, searching for a way to solve this problem. The other member of their so-called team was glaring at the remaining enemy, hands clenched at his side, knuckles white. Malik stood calmly, an unconscious Ryou draped unceremoniously in his arms.

Pegasus was nowhere to be seen. At the moment, none of them cared.

Bakura spoke first. "Malik, da you, let go of my hikari, _now_!"

The gravekeeper raised an eyebrow. "Now, why would I do something like that? I am not stupid, my _friend_."

The thief gave a low growl. "Oh, but I think you are. You see, you've made one mistake too many, and that's going to cost you."

"How so?" Malik kept up the "friendly" banter, eyes never leaving the tomb robber. "In case you're blind, Bakura, I happen to hold the upper hand here."

"You seem to be forgetting one thing." As he spoke, the Ring Spirit circled around, drawing Malik's attention to him and away from Yami. The teen did not seem to notice.

Malik kept his gaze carefully trained on his former comrade. "Oh? And what's that?"

"Maybe you've been watching too much of the… 'television' thing," Bakura informed him. "So much that you seemed to have forgotten that good guys are not so stupid as the ones in those children's shows."

Malik carefully arched an eyebrow. "And when were you ever a 'good guy'?"

"Never." The silver-haired spirit smirked evilly, catching movement from behind Malik and keeping him fully distracted. "But the bad guys aren't so dumb either."

"Really, are th—"

The sandy-haired Egyptian did not have a chance to finish his question, as a bolt hit him from behind. Quickly, Bakura stepped in and caught his unconscious hikari, grunting slightly at the sudden weight.

"Ryou, are you still alive?" The tomb robber smacked himself mentally for asking. "Dait, you'd better not die! I told you that already!"

"I'll take over from here." Carefully walking around Malik's prone form, Yami placed a hand on Ryou's forehead. "He is hurt badly, both from the activities here and whatever happened before. Bakura, have you any idea what he—"

"He got shot."

The two puzzle-holders stared, and Bakura growled impatiently. "He got shot back at that da Christmas party thing, all right! I was on my way to find _you_, but then those freaks came and nabbed him."

Yugi frowned, eyes full of worry. "Yami, is Ryou-kun going to be all right?"

The spirit hesitated before nodding. "Yes, Yugi. He will be fine." _Or so I hope, for your sake, my dear Aibou._

Silence stretched, both tense and empty. Beads of sweat formed on Yami's forehead and dripped down. He did nothing to stop them, all his attention given to the silver-haired teen in Bakura's hold.

Finally, the Puzzle Spirit spoke, though his voice was distracted. "Aibou, why don't you look around and see if you can find the Sennen Items that these two stole? I don't sense anyone else around, so it should be safe. Don't go out of earshot, and call for me at the slightest hint of trouble."

"What!" Bakura glared at him, noticed that he was not watching, and settled for a growl instead. "Why are you sending _him _to fetch them! _I_ should be able to do that! That's why _my_ Sennen Ring is for!"

Yami gave a miniscule shake of his head. "And do you expect me to trust you, now that the crisis is over?"

The Ring Spirit snorted. "You have my hikari. I won't do anything. So I'm _going_, and that's final." With surprising gentleness, he deposited Ryou in Yami's arms. "But don't you dare do anything to him. Remember, _I'm _with _your _'Aibou'."

"There is no need for this stalemate," the Puzzle Spirit mumbled through his concentration. "Unlike you, I have some shreds of honour."

"Hmph. If you wish to think so, _Pharaoh_."

Casting one more worried glance at his Yami and his friend, Yugi followed the white-haired spirit. With Bakura's magic, it was not long before they found what they were looking for – a small room containing the hikaris' Puzzle and Ring.

A wide smile spread over the tricoloured-haired boy's face as he cradled the Sennen Puzzle lovingly with his hands. The tomb robber snorted at his sentiments, denying that he held Ryou's Sennen Ring just as tenderly. The link to his light. The link to the light without whom he could not exist, in both the literal and – so it seemed now – the figurative cases.

"I… guess we go back now," Yugi suggested, as he carefully looped the Puzzle around his neck again.

The thief rolled his eyes. "Of course."

They walked in silence until the teen decided to pose his question. "Bakura, do you… _love_… Ryou?"

Bakura stopped in his tracks. "Do I _what_!"

"You know, love."

"I know!" the tomb robber snapped. "Of course I don't love him! That's ridiculous. I don't love anyone, especially not him. He's a stupid, weak, useless; he always gets in the way, ruin my plans, and…"

"But you know that's not true," Yugi ventured. "I think… he really thinks that you don't care about him—"

"I don't!"

"—and it made him upset," the boy continued as if the interruption had never happened. "But I don't think it's true. You _do _care, don't you? If you didn't, you wouldn't have come to rescue him. And you _really_ wouldn't have agreed to work together with Yami."

"I came to get the Sennen Items!" Bakura growled. "I don't give a da what happens to my host. He can die for all I care!"

Yugi gave a small snort. "That's not what you told Yami. And it's not true, either. I… guess Ryou and I haven't heard the _beginning _of your conversation with Malik and Pegasus, but from what I _have_ heard, you were more worried about Ryou. It's like you forgot all about the Sennen Items until Yami mentioned them."

"That's…!" The spirit gave what was his closest equivalent of a pout. "That's preposterous! Ridiculous! Absurd! I was…"

"It's not something to be ashamed of," the teen murmured softly. "It's kind of sweet."

Bakura glared. "I don't do 'sweet'."

"Nice?"

"Not that either."

Yugi shrugged. "Well, then, it makes you more _human_. More _real_."

"What?" A small frown settled on the thief's brow. "I'm a _ghost_, kid. How does loving someone – _supposedly_ loving someone, I mean – make me human and real?"

"Before, you just seemed like some sort of a storybook villain," the boy explained, violet eyes wide and sincere. "You were just 'evil'. You were always trying to steal the Sennen Items, you liked causing trouble, you liked to… hurt Ryou. That was the only thing you were, just a stereotypical villain. But if you can love and feel, too, then it makes you more like an actual person."

"Hmph." Bakura scowled, not willing to admit that he was rather pleased. Somehow, he knew that Yugi could tell, though neither would say it out loud. "Well, what about _you_, then? Are you the stereotypical hero?"

The youth blinked. "Wh-wha? I'm no hero."

"Of course not," the spirit grumbled, "but all of _those _people think you are. The brilliant, brave, kind, innocent one." He poked Yugi in the chest, though not hard. "What more is there to _you_, then? Or are you telling me that _I'm _more human than _you_?"

Yugi looked down and shuffled his feet. "I'm not brilliant – that's Yami. I'm not that brave or kind either. Or innocent, really – I just act that way."

Bakura snorted. "And what's one not-so-brave thing that you've done?"

The boy hesitated. "It's… not something not brave that I did. It's something that I _should_ have done and _would _have done if I really were brave."

"Well, get on with it!"

"I… love Yami." A dark blush spread across Yugi's cheeks. "I know most people think it's wrong, and… maybe it is, but I don't care. He's… always tried to protect me, and whenever I need a friend, he's there. And I… know that I'm supposed to be going out with Anzu, but that just doesn't feel right. She makes me feel like a stranger. Yami makes me feel safe and happy, and… I realized that when I got captured. I could only think about Yami, and that he must be worried, and he's coming to save me, and…"

"How, ah, sweet?" Bakura rolled his eyes and grabbed Yugi's wrist, dragging him back towards the common room. "In any case, I'm sure the mighty _Pharaoh_ doesn't dare let me wander with you alone and has been checking up."

Yugi's eyes widened considerably. "You mean…"

"Yep." The Ring spirit smirked, taking pleasure in the boy's panic. "He probably heard everything."

"But what if he doesn't…!"

"Doesn't what?" There was a look of innocence on the spirit's face.

Yugi chewed on his bottom lip. "What if he doesn't love me? What if he gets disgusted and hates me, or…"

_He was your lover in the past life,_ Bakura muttered in his mind, but kept silent on the outside, letting the boy draw his own conclusions. _He's probably itching to get into your bed again._

"Ummm, Bakura?" Making sure his mental shield was up, Yugi gently removed the albino's hand from his wrist. "I'm… just going to, ah, check some of these empty rooms and see if they put my, ah, deck in one of them. Tell Yami to, ah, not wait up for me. Please?"

"You're a bad liar," the thief informed him. "Your deck is jutting out of your pocket."

"Bakura, please?"

"Fine, fine!" The Ring Spirit gave a casual wave. "Anything to make trouble for the Pharaoh is fine by me. Whatever, go ahead."

"Thank you." Clenching his teeth, Yugi ran down the hall, looking for a way out.

Bakura shook his head, heading back to Yami and, more importantly, Ryou. "Love makes people stupid. Must have made _me _stupid too."

* * *

The park. Yugi shook his head in irony; didn't Jou say that Seto found him in the park? And there he was to _lose_ Yami. For a moment, he toyed with the possibility that Yami would actually love him back. But what were the chances? What had he to offer to such a strong, wonderful, beautiful, perfect – at least in his eyes – person?

But now was the bigger problem. Where was he to go? He could not stay in the park; he was dressed more warmly than Jou was on that day, but the chill was rising, especially at such a late hour. And he did need to go home, and soon. His grandfather probably did not know of the events of the past hours yet, but the dance was over quite some time ago. He was probably not _so _worried, because Yami was there with Yugi, but if neither returned home – or, worse yet, if Yami went _home _to look for him and he was not there yet – then trouble would start.

Yes. Maybe he really _should _go home. But Yami would be there, and he could not face…

_But this is stupid too, isn't it?_ Yugi asked himself. _If he _is _disgusted, then he's going to avoid me anyway, and I don't need to avoid _him_. And if, just maybe, if he cares about me too, then he would be worried if I don't come home. And Grandpa must be worried. But what if Grandpa thinks it's disgusting that I like – not just like, love – another man? What if, what if…_

"Well, well, Yugi-Boy," a voice interrupted, "fancy seeing _you _here, all alone too. Must be my lucky day after all."

The tricoloured head snapped up. "Pegasus! What are _you _doing here! I thought we… I mean, wait… you were gone, and…"

The older man smirked. "Yep. No need to stay in a losing battle. But how kind of you to bring me the Sennen Puzzle, even if it's only a half of it."

"Y-you're _not _getting my Puzzle!" Yugi clutched it tightly and started backing away. "Never, ever, ever!"

"Really?" The smirk stayed on the man's lips. "And what do you plan to do to stop me? Call that Yami of yours? By the time he gets here, it'll be too late."

_If he comes at all,_ Yugi thought, but did not give voice to his worry. It was true. It would be too late. But he had to try.

/YAMI! Yami, help/

Aibou?Yugi's knees almost gave way from relief as he heard the spirit's voice. Aibou, what happened? Where are you?

/Park/ The boy stumbled back away from the advancing Pegasus. /Pegasus, trying to steal Puzzle, help/

Try to hold on, Aibou! I'm coming!

Coming, coming… Yugi knew that Yami would not arrive in time. He kept backing away, hoping he would not trip. Alone, powerless…

"I have you now, Yugi-Boy!" With a triumphant grin, Pegasus brushed the hair out of his face, exposing his golden eye. As it glowed, Yugi's hands flew up to shield his face.

_This is it… Good-bye, Yami. I love you…_


End file.
